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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. game — a match
  3. row — to paddle
  4. prune — to trim
  5. spell — a short time
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. spell — letters
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. row — a line
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. spell — magic
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. rock — a stone
  21. game — wild animals
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. rock — music
  24. prune — to trim

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