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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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. bear — to put up with
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. content — happy
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. row — to paddle
  10. bear — the animal
  11. mine — for digging
  12. pound — a weight
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. row — a line
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. cell — in biology
  21. cell — a phone
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. stand — to bear

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