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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. bear — the animal
  4. track — a path
  5. club — a group
  6. ball — a dance
  7. ball — a great time
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. cap — a hat
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — the tool
  17. cap — of ice
  18. club — for golf
  19. branch — a division
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. club — for dancing
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. track — to keep track
  24. track — a song

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