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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. can — a tin
  3. content — the amount
  4. perch — the fish
  5. stock — goods
  6. prune — to trim
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. can — a tin
  10. stock — shares
  11. content — happy
  12. tube — a container
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. tube — the underground
  17. fine — all right
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. fine — high quality
  22. prune — to trim
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. patient — a sick person

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