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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 120 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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  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 — to put up with
  2. wind — moving air
  3. firm — decided
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. firm — a company
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bound — certain
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. firm — steady
  11. club — for golf
  12. bound — obliged
  13. club — a group
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. perch — the fish
  16. bound — tied together
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. bear — the animal
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  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