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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 116 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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. firm — decided
  3. march — the month
  4. rest — what's left
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. march — the month
  7. cue — a signal
  8. cue — a hint
  9. degree — from a university
  10. mug — a face
  11. firm — steady
  12. bear — the animal
  13. cue — for pool
  14. march — music
  15. rest — a break
  16. mug — to rob
  17. rest — what's left
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. degree — temperature
  22. mug — a cup
  23. degree — an amount
  24. firm — a company

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