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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. cap — of ice
  6. cap — a hat
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. game — a match
  10. perch — the fish
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bound — certain
  13. bear — the animal
  14. mate — a partner
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. cap — a lid
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. game — wild animals
  21. mate — a friend
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. mate — to breed

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