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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. bear — the animal
  3. game — a match
  4. cue — a hint
  5. bear — the animal
  6. saw — the tool
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. swing — in golf
  9. foot — a measure
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. game — wild animals
  16. saw — the tool
  17. swing — music
  18. prune — to trim
  19. cue — a signal
  20. cue — for pool
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. swing — to play on
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — the fruit

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