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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. season — of the year
  3. march — the month
  4. season — in sport
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. swing — in golf
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. club — a group
  11. pass — a permit
  12. ground — crushed
  13. ground — the earth
  14. swing — music
  15. club — for golf
  16. swing — to play on
  17. march — music
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. ground — a position
  21. march — the month
  22. bear — the animal
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. club — for dancing

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