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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. track — a path
  3. bear — the animal
  4. court — of a king
  5. bear — the animal
  6. roll — a cake
  7. mug — to rob
  8. court — of law
  9. suit — clothes
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. hand — in cards
  12. suit — in cards
  13. track — to keep track
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. roll — a list
  16. hand — help
  17. court — for sport
  18. track — a song
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. mug — a cup
  21. bat — the animal
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. suit — to fit
  24. mug — a face

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