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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bear — the animal
  4. pop — soda
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. suit — in cards
  9. hand — help
  10. pop — to visit
  11. pop — music
  12. bat — the animal
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. bear — the animal
  15. hand — in cards
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. suit — to fit
  24. suit — clothes

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