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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. bass — low music
  3. can — to be able to
  4. rash — a series
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. court — for sport
  9. prune — to trim
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. bass — the fish
  13. can — a tin
  14. spring — a coil
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. court — of a king
  18. can — a tin
  19. court — of law
  20. spring — the season
  21. bear — the animal
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bear — the animal
  24. rash — hasty

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