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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. bear — the animal
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bound — certain
  6. firm — decided
  7. bear — the animal
  8. ground — the earth
  9. date — the fruit
  10. bound — obliged
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — to trim
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. firm — steady
  17. cell — in biology
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. bound — tied together
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. cell — a phone
  22. ground — a position
  23. firm — a company
  24. ground — crushed

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