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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: race · row · toast · bear · roll · content · fork · stand

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. roll — a cake
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. toast — bread
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. race — humankind
  9. row — a line
  10. race — a contest
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. content — the amount
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. stand — to bear
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. race — the arms race
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. row — to paddle
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. bear — the animal
  21. content — happy
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. roll — a list

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