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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: content · row · stick · foot · scale · wind · bear · wake

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. row — to paddle
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. wake — a trail
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. scale — size or range
  7. row — a line
  8. wind — moving air
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. foot — a measure
  14. scale — in music
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. bear — the animal
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. content — happy
  22. wind — moving air
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. foot — the bottom

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