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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bat — the animal
  4. track — to keep track
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. track — a path
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. can — to be able to
  9. swing — music
  10. can — a tin
  11. bark — to shout
  12. mate — a partner
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. swing — to play on
  18. track — a song
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. can — a tin
  21. mate — a friend
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. swing — in golf
  24. bear — the animal

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