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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. lean — thin
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pop — soda
  8. foot — a measure
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. lean — to bend
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. object — to protest
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. game — wild animals
  18. object — an aim
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. game — a match
  21. object — a thing
  22. pop — music
  23. bear — the animal
  24. chair — a leader

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