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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. land — ground
  6. object — to protest
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. bear — the animal
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. land — a country
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. fine — all right
  15. fine — high quality
  16. march — the month
  17. land — to come down
  18. march — music
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. object — a thing
  23. march — the month
  24. bear — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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