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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bear — the animal
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. club — a group
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. club — for dancing
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. charge — a price
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. charge — electricity
  13. craft — boats
  14. craft — a skill
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. charge — in control
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. club — for golf
  21. track — a song
  22. track — a path
  23. track — to keep track
  24. mine — for digging

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