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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 116 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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. present — a gift
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. court — for sport
  5. bear — the animal
  6. present — the time now
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. court — of a king
  9. court — of law
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. wind — moving air
  12. bear — the animal
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. present — there
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. wind — moving air

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