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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. cell — in biology
  3. bear — the animal
  4. race — the arms race
  5. snap — to click
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. race — humankind
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. club — a group
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. cell — a phone
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. club — for golf
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. club — for dancing
  20. pitch — completely
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. race — a contest
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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