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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 116 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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. bear — the animal
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. pop — music
  7. bank — of a river
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. pop — to visit
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — for money
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. pop — soda
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. net — after costs
  20. bear — the animal
  21. game — wild animals
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. net — for catching
  24. net — in sport

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