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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 120 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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bass — the fish
  3. tube — the underground
  4. rest — what's left
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. ground — the earth
  8. bass — low music
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. rest — what's left
  11. foot — a measure
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. dip — to sink
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. bear — the animal
  16. game — wild animals
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. rest — a break
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. tube — a container
  22. ground — crushed
  23. game — a match
  24. ground — a position

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