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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. bear — the animal
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. band — a music group
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. bear — the animal
  7. scale — size or range
  8. scale — in music
  9. band — a ring
  10. content — the amount
  11. content — happy
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. season — in sport
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. season — of the year

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