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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. club — for dancing
  3. bear — the animal
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. chair — a leader
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. rule — a law
  10. court — of law
  11. rule — government
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. wake — a trail
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. court — of a king
  17. prune — to trim
  18. club — for golf
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. court — for sport
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. club — a group
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bowl — a football final

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