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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. ground — a position
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. game — wild animals
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. club — for golf
  8. game — a match
  9. club — a group
  10. date — the fruit
  11. ground — the earth
  12. club — for dancing
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. vault — a safe
  17. bear — the animal
  18. ground — crushed

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