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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 124 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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. club — a group
  6. club — for dancing
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. bore — to tire
  9. prune — to trim
  10. sharp — clever
  11. club — for golf
  12. bear — the animal
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. bore — to drill
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. prune — to trim
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. pitch — completely
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — animal skin

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