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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. season — of the year
  3. mug — a cup
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. bear — the animal
  6. march — music
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. march — the month
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. season — in sport
  13. spring — the season
  14. mug — to rob
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. mug — a face
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. ground — crushed
  19. spring — a coil
  20. march — the month
  21. ground — a position
  22. ground — the earth
  23. spring — of water
  24. bay — a horse colour

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