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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. club — for golf
  4. file — a line of people
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. file — a document
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. march — music
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. march — the month
  12. prune — to trim
  13. pop — music
  14. file — a tool
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bear — the animal
  17. club — for dancing
  18. march — the month
  19. club — a group
  20. pop — to visit
  21. prune — to trim
  22. pop — soda
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. nail — for a hammer

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