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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 116 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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. present — a gift
  4. pit — a hole
  5. track — a path
  6. shower — rain
  7. present — the time now
  8. pit — in a race
  9. rest — what's left
  10. shower — to wash
  11. bear — the animal
  12. track — a song
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. rest — a break
  15. bear — the animal
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. track — to keep track
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. rash — hasty
  22. present — there
  23. rash — a series
  24. rest — what's left

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