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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. land — ground
  4. land — to come down
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. mark — a grade
  7. rush — hurry
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. mate — a partner
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. mark — a trace
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. pound — a weight
  17. mate — to breed
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. mate — a friend
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. land — a country
  23. bear — the animal
  24. rush — a thrill

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