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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. kick — in football
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. chair — a leader
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. craft — a skill
  10. bear — the animal
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. shower — to wash
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. craft — boats
  19. bear — the animal
  20. shower — rain
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pound — a weight
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. kick — with a leg

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