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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. kid — child
  3. ball — a dance
  4. firm — a company
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. saw — the tool
  7. ball — a great time
  8. bark — to shout
  9. kid — to tease
  10. press — a publisher
  11. press — newspapers
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. bear — the animal
  14. pit — in a race
  15. bear — the animal
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. pit — a hole
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. firm — steady
  20. saw — the tool
  21. press — to push
  22. firm — decided
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bark — of a tree

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