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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. march — the month
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. rush — hurry
  7. content — happy
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. chip — for betting
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — the animal
  13. march — the month
  14. content — the amount
  15. season — in sport
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. chip — to eat
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. saw — the tool
  22. march — music
  23. season — of the year
  24. chip — in a computer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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