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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. net — after costs
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. net — for catching
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. rash — a series
  7. rash — hasty
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. spring — a coil
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. spring — of water
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. net — in sport
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. cell — in biology
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. bear — the animal
  21. spring — the season
  22. cell — a phone
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — the animal

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