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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 116 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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. band — a music group
  3. pit — in a race
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. band — a ring
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. content — happy
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. firm — steady
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. content — the amount
  15. suit — in cards
  16. bark — to shout
  17. firm — a company
  18. mine — for digging
  19. suit — clothes
  20. firm — decided
  21. bear — the animal
  22. pit — a hole
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. suit — to fit

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