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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. bear — the animal
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. bear — the animal
  6. swing — to play on
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. court — for sport
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. saw — the tool
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. saw — the tool
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. court — of law
  20. swing — in golf
  21. court — of a king
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. swing — music

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