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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. bear — the animal
  4. field — farmland
  5. cue — a hint
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. field — for sport
  8. content — the amount
  9. cue — for pool
  10. wake — a trail
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. cue — a signal
  15. mug — a cup
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. mug — a face
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. bear — the animal
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. deal — to handle
  22. mug — to rob
  23. bark — to shout
  24. content — happy

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com