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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. court — of a king
  4. pit — a hole
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bass — the fish
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. pit — in a race
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. court — for sport
  15. bass — low music
  16. court — of law
  17. ball — a great time
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. ball — a dance
  23. bear — the animal
  24. wake — a trail

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