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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. row — to paddle
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. wound — an injury
  8. hand — help
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. hand — in cards
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. pound — a weight
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. row — a line
  24. wound — an injury

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