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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 120 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. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. ground — a position
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. mug — a face
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. prune — to trim
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. ground — crushed
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. content — the amount
  13. content — happy
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. bear — the animal
  17. ground — the earth
  18. mug — to rob
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. mug — a cup
  24. wake — a trail

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