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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 120 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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. root — the cause
  5. court — of law
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bear — the animal
  9. saw — the tool
  10. court — of a king
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. root — of a plant
  14. court — for sport
  15. pitch — completely
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. pound — a weight
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. saw — the tool
  22. root — of a word
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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