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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. scale — size or range
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. content — the amount
  10. content — happy
  11. branch — a division
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — for light
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bear — the animal
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. scale — in music
  24. racket — for tennis

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