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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 120 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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bear — the animal
  4. season — of the year
  5. track — to keep track
  6. bear — the animal
  7. spring — of water
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. dip — to sink
  10. spring — a coil
  11. bass — low music
  12. key — for a lock
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. key — the most important part
  16. spring — the season
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. season — in sport
  19. key — in music
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. track — a song
  22. track — a path
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. bass — the fish

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