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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: deal · content · wake · rock · club · roll · bear · date

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. club — a group
  3. wake — a trail
  4. bear — the animal
  5. date — the fruit
  6. roll — a cake
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. club — for dancing
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. content — the amount
  13. club — for golf
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. deal — to handle
  19. rock — music
  20. content — happy
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. rock — a stone
  23. bear — the animal
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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