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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. content — happy
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. bear — the animal
  5. content — the amount
  6. mark — a grade
  7. bank — for money
  8. track — to keep track
  9. root — the cause
  10. track — a path
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — of a river
  13. pop — music
  14. track — a song
  15. root — of a word
  16. pop — soda
  17. pop — to visit
  18. mark — a trace
  19. wind — moving air
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. root — of a plant
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — to turn a key

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