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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. mug — to rob
  3. bound — certain
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. court — of a king
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. mug — a cup
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bound — obliged
  13. court — of law
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bound — tied together
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. pitch — completely
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. court — for sport
  20. game — a match
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. game — wild animals
  23. mug — a face
  24. bear — to put up 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