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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.

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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. track — to keep track
  8. capital — a city
  9. capital — money
  10. mug — a cup
  11. track — a path
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. prune — to trim
  14. mug — to rob
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. mug — a face
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. track — a song
  22. bear — the animal
  23. rush — hurry
  24. date — the fruit

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