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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: content · bark · spring · mug · suit · bass · cue · bear

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. suit — in cards
  3. cue — a signal
  4. spring — a coil
  5. bear — the animal
  6. suit — to fit
  7. bear — the animal
  8. spring — of water
  9. suit — clothes
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. mug — to rob
  13. bark — to shout
  14. cue — for pool
  15. bass — the fish
  16. spring — the season
  17. mug — a face
  18. content — the amount
  19. cue — a hint
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. bass — low music
  23. mug — a cup
  24. bear — to put up with

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