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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. bear — the animal
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. mate — a partner
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. suit — clothes
  9. mate — a friend
  10. game — a match
  11. bear — the animal
  12. mate — to breed
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. kid — child
  15. kid — to tease
  16. rush — hurry
  17. suit — to fit
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. suit — in cards
  20. game — wild animals
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. bark — to shout
  24. bark — of a tree

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