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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — the animal
  3. firm — a company
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. season — in sport
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. ball — a great time
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. ball — a dance
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. season — of the year
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. firm — steady
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. firm — decided
  19. bat — the animal
  20. cell — in biology
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. cell — a phone
  24. bat — for baseball

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