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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bear · pop · content · swing · hand · firm · present · kick

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. swing — music
  3. firm — steady
  4. pop — to visit
  5. present — there
  6. firm — a company
  7. present — the time now
  8. pop — soda
  9. kick — in football
  10. hand — help
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. content — the amount
  13. present — a gift
  14. bear — the animal
  15. swing — in golf
  16. pop — music
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. swing — to play on
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. firm — decided
  22. hand — in cards
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. content — happy

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