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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. bass — the fish
  4. fork — in a road
  5. content — happy
  6. tube — the underground
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. tube — a container
  12. content — the amount
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. band — a music group
  17. bear — the animal
  18. lean — to bend
  19. lean — thin
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. bass — low music
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. band — a ring

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