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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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. march — music
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. march — the month
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. sharp — clever
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. bear — the animal
  15. pound — a weight
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. march — the month

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