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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. club — for dancing
  4. date — the fruit
  5. club — for golf
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. club — a group
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. clip — a video
  12. foot — a measure
  13. bear — the animal
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. clip — to cut
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. craft — a skill
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. craft — boats
  23. clip — for paper
  24. date — on the calendar

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