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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  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. foot — part of the body
  3. cue — for pool
  4. season — in sport
  5. cue — a hint
  6. clip — for paper
  7. clip — a video
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. pop — soda
  10. pop — to visit
  11. season — of the year
  12. bear — the animal
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. race — the arms race
  15. foot — a measure
  16. object — a thing
  17. cue — a signal
  18. clip — to cut
  19. race — humankind
  20. object — an aim
  21. race — a contest
  22. object — to protest
  23. pop — music
  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