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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 124 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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. net — in sport
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bank — of a river
  7. chip — to eat
  8. content — happy
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. bear — the animal
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. pound — a weight
  14. bank — for money
  15. lean — to bend
  16. chip — for betting
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. net — for catching
  20. bank — for money
  21. net — after costs
  22. content — the amount
  23. lean — thin
  24. chip — in a computer

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