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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. key — for a lock
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. mark — a grade
  6. row — to paddle
  7. bear — the animal
  8. row — a line
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. key — in music
  11. foot — a measure
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. fork — in a road
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. mark — a trace
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. fine — high quality
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. fine — all right
  22. key — the most important part
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. fork — to eat with

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