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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. file — a tool
  4. mark — a trace
  5. mark — a grade
  6. club — for dancing
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. deal — to handle
  9. club — for golf
  10. file — a document
  11. fine — all right
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. fine — high quality
  14. roll — a cake
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. roll — a list
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. file — a line of people
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. club — a group
  23. bear — the animal
  24. mark — to pay attention

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