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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. band — a ring
  3. club — a group
  4. charge — a price
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. club — for golf
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. prune — to trim
  9. perch — the fish
  10. bear — the animal
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. firm — steady
  13. prune — to trim
  14. court — of a king
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. court — for sport
  17. charge — in control
  18. band — a music group
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. court — of law
  21. charge — electricity
  22. firm — decided
  23. club — for dancing
  24. firm — a company

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