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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. clip — to cut
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. suit — to fit
  5. lean — to bend
  6. toast — bread
  7. court — of law
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. clip — a video
  10. pitch — completely
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. clip — for paper
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. game — wild animals
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. suit — in cards
  19. bear — the animal
  20. court — for sport
  21. lean — thin
  22. suit — clothes
  23. court — of a king
  24. game — a match

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