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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. present — there
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. present — the time now
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bass — the fish
  8. present — a gift
  9. bass — low music
  10. scale — size or range
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. wound — an injury
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. branch — a division
  18. bear — the animal
  19. scale — in music
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. wound — an injury
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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