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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. date — the fruit
  3. firm — decided
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. bark — to shout
  6. firm — steady
  7. firm — a company
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. rest — what's left
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. club — a group
  14. season — in sport
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. club — for golf
  19. season — of the year
  20. rest — a break
  21. club — for dancing
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bear — the animal

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