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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. rock — music
  10. current — of water
  11. rock — a stone
  12. pit — in a race
  13. current — electric
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. fork — in a road
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bear — the animal
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. court — of a king
  20. court — of law
  21. pit — a hole
  22. court — for sport
  23. current — happening now
  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