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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 · bear · court · toast · dip · branch · calf

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. content — happy
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. court — for sport
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. deal — to handle
  12. dip — to sink
  13. bear — the animal
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. branch — a division
  16. toast — bread
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. content — the amount
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. court — of a king
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. court — of law

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