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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 120 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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. suit — in cards
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pop — music
  6. suit — clothes
  7. pop — to visit
  8. suit — to fit
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. game — wild animals
  12. game — a match
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. bear — the animal
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. vault — a safe
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bear — the animal
  24. pop — soda

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