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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. scale — in music
  5. bark — to shout
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. ball — a dance
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. bear — the animal
  10. swing — in golf
  11. ball — a great time
  12. chest — a box
  13. kid — to tease
  14. chest — of your body
  15. swing — to play on
  16. bear — the animal
  17. swing — music
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. scale — size or range
  20. chest — of your body
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. kid — child

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