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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  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. mine — belonging to me
  2. drill — a practice
  3. bear — the animal
  4. can — to be able to
  5. ball — a dance
  6. bear — the animal
  7. mark — a trace
  8. can — a tin
  9. drill — army training
  10. mine — for digging
  11. ball — a great time
  12. drill — the tool
  13. present — the time now
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. present — a gift
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. can — a tin
  20. content — happy
  21. mark — a grade
  22. present — there
  23. content — videos and posts
  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