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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. spring — of water
  3. pit — in a race
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. suit — in cards
  6. degree — temperature
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. pit — a hole
  9. degree — from a university
  10. wake — a trail
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rash — a series
  14. spring — the season
  15. spring — a coil
  16. bear — the animal
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. bear — the animal
  20. suit — to fit
  21. suit — clothes
  22. degree — an amount
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. rash — on the 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