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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. content — the amount
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. bark — to shout
  8. mug — to rob
  9. toast — bread
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. mug — a cup
  12. mug — a face
  13. object — an aim
  14. snap — to click
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. pop — soda
  17. content — happy
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. pop — to visit
  20. object — to protest
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. object — a thing
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. pop — music

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