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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. cell — a phone
  4. cue — a hint
  5. cue — for pool
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. cue — a signal
  9. court — for sport
  10. spring — a coil
  11. swing — music
  12. court — of law
  13. court — of a king
  14. cell — in biology
  15. spring — of water
  16. spring — the season
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. swing — to play on
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. plane — a tool
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. bear — the animal
  24. swing — in golf

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