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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. mine — for digging
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. fine — high quality
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. pitch — completely
  19. bear — the animal
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. fine — all right
  22. wake — a trail
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. straw — dry grass

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