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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. dip — to sink
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. suit — clothes
  6. club — for golf
  7. spring — the season
  8. wind — moving air
  9. spring — a coil
  10. suit — in cards
  11. key — in music
  12. suit — to fit
  13. scale — in music
  14. scale — size or range
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. key — the most important part
  17. club — for dancing
  18. spring — of water
  19. key — for a lock
  20. wind — moving air
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bear — the animal
  24. club — a group

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