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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. suit — to fit
  3. cell — a phone
  4. prune — to trim
  5. cell — in biology
  6. bear — the animal
  7. march — the month
  8. suit — clothes
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. bear — the animal
  11. cue — a signal
  12. pound — a weight
  13. march — the month
  14. cue — a hint
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. cue — for pool
  18. march — music
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. chair — a leader
  22. prune — to trim
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. suit — in cards

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