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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. cue — a hint
  5. row — a line
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. prune — to trim
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. row — to paddle
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cue — for pool
  16. scale — in music
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. scale — size or range
  21. chair — a leader
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. prune — to trim
  24. mouse — for a computer

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