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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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Word bank
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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: bass · content · roll · leaves · bear · mark · field · deal

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — the animal
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. bass — low music
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. roll — a list
  7. mark — a grade
  8. deal — to handle
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. field — a subject
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. content — happy
  14. field — farmland
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. bass — the fish
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. mark — a trace
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. content — the amount
  22. roll — a cake
  23. field — for sport
  24. roll — on a roll

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