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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bass — low music
  3. drill — a practice
  4. bass — the fish
  5. court — of a king
  6. bear — the animal
  7. court — of law
  8. hand — in cards
  9. race — the arms race
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. drill — the tool
  13. fork — in a road
  14. race — humankind
  15. tube — the underground
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. court — for sport
  19. drill — army training
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. tube — a container
  22. race — a contest
  23. hand — help
  24. bear — 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