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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  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. bowl — a football final
  3. wound — an injury
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. net — after costs
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — to trim
  10. row — to paddle
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. row — a line
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bear — the animal
  17. key — in music
  18. wound — an injury
  19. net — in sport
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. net — for catching
  22. key — the most important part
  23. key — for a lock
  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