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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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. bowl — to roll
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. game — a match
  8. kid — child
  9. drill — a practice
  10. bear — the animal
  11. game — wild animals
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. kid — to tease
  16. pass — a permit
  17. drill — the tool
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. drill — army training
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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