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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. bear — the animal
  3. rock — music
  4. season — of the year
  5. spring — the season
  6. spring — a coil
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bear — the animal
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. rash — hasty
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. club — a group
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. club — for dancing
  16. spring — of water
  17. net — for catching
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. season — in sport
  21. club — for golf
  22. net — in sport
  23. net — after costs
  24. rash — a series

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