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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. ball — a dance
  3. fine — all right
  4. fork — in a road
  5. firm — steady
  6. bear — the animal
  7. land — ground
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. wind — moving air
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. ball — a great time
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. firm — a company
  16. land — a country
  17. bear — the animal
  18. firm — decided
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. land — to come down
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. fine — high quality
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. wind — moving air

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