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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — the animal
  4. fork — in a road
  5. spell — magic
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. spell — letters
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. chip — for betting
  14. chip — to eat
  15. spell — a short time
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. stem — to come from
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. bat — the animal
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bat — in an idiom

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