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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. hand — in cards
  3. hand — help
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. club — a group
  10. fine — all right
  11. root — of a plant
  12. foot — a measure
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. root — of a word
  15. club — for golf
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. root — the cause
  18. club — for dancing
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. wake — a trail
  21. fine — high quality
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. bear — the animal
  24. wake — before a funeral

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