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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. pop — soda
  3. firm — a company
  4. wound — an injury
  5. bear — the animal
  6. key — the most important part
  7. net — in sport
  8. pop — to visit
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. wound — an injury
  11. key — in music
  12. net — after costs
  13. club — a group
  14. firm — steady
  15. key — for a lock
  16. club — for golf
  17. net — for catching
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. pop — music
  20. club — for dancing
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. deal — to handle
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. firm — decided

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