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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
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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: perch · bear · bowl · fan · tear · content · can · date

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. tear — to rip
  3. can — a tin
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bear — the animal
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. bear — the animal
  8. perch — the fish
  9. content — happy
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. date — the fruit
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. content — the amount
  15. tear — from crying
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. can — a tin
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. tear — from crying
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. can — to be able to

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