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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. pop — music
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. pop — soda
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. bear — the animal
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. bear — the animal
  10. stand — to bear
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. chair — a leader
  14. bore — to drill
  15. pop — to visit
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. sharp — clever
  21. content — happy
  22. bore — to tire
  23. deal — to handle
  24. content — the amount

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