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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: suit · content · net · fork · pound · toast · shower · bear

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. suit — clothes
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. content — the amount
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. toast — bread
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. net — in sport
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. suit — to fit
  12. content — happy
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. fork — in a road
  15. net — for catching
  16. bear — the animal
  17. suit — in cards
  18. pound — a weight
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. net — after costs
  21. shower — to wash
  22. bear — the animal
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. shower — rain

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