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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bear — the animal
  5. club — a group
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. spring — of water
  9. dip — to sink
  10. net — after costs
  11. club — for golf
  12. bank — of a river
  13. spring — a coil
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. bass — low music
  16. bear — the animal
  17. net — for catching
  18. bank — for money
  19. net — in sport
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bank — for money
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. bass — the fish
  24. club — for dancing

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