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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. object — an aim
  3. bass — the fish
  4. object — a thing
  5. pop — to visit
  6. pop — music
  7. bear — the animal
  8. court — of law
  9. court — for sport
  10. pop — soda
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bear — the animal
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. bore — to drill
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bore — to tire
  17. object — to protest
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bass — low music
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. court — of a king

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