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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 116 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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. club — a group
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. object — a thing
  5. ground — crushed
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bear — the animal
  8. ground — a position
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. net — in sport
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. net — for catching
  13. club — for dancing
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. rush — hurry
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. kick — in football
  20. object — to protest
  21. ground — the earth
  22. net — after costs
  23. object — an aim
  24. club — for golf

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