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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. hand — in cards
  3. pit — a hole
  4. bear — the animal
  5. court — for sport
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. fine — all right
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. chest — of your body
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. hand — help
  17. court — of a king
  18. chest — a box
  19. fine — high quality
  20. pit — in a race
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. chest — of your body
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. court — of law

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