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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. mate — to breed
  3. court — of a king
  4. ground — the earth
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. ground — crushed
  7. key — for a lock
  8. mate — a partner
  9. court — for sport
  10. ground — a position
  11. lie — to recline
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. key — the most important part
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wake — a trail
  19. bear — the animal
  20. key — in music
  21. court — of law
  22. mate — a friend
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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