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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. bear — the animal
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. spring — a coil
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. spring — the season
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. chair — a leader
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. spring — of water
  23. bear — the animal
  24. cabinet — ministers

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