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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. content — the amount
  3. content — happy
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. wind — moving air
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. board — to get on
  8. pop — soda
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. pop — music
  11. pass — a permit
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. wind — moving air
  16. mark — a grade
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. board — a committee
  20. mark — a trace
  21. pop — to visit
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — to put up with

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