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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. rash — a series
  4. bear — the animal
  5. cap — a lid
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cap — a hat
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. club — a group
  16. roll — a cake
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. roll — a list
  22. club — for dancing
  23. club — for golf
  24. rash — hasty

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