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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. firm — a company
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bear — the animal
  5. key — the most important part
  6. firm — decided
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. key — in music
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bat — the animal
  13. squash — the sport
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. squash — to crush
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. firm — steady
  19. key — for a lock
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. saw — the tool
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. bear — to put up with

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