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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. staff — employees
  3. vault — a safe
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. season — in sport
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. staff — employees
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. pitch — completely
  13. staff — a stick
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. craft — boats
  19. craft — a skill
  20. season — of the year
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — moving air
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. bear — the animal

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