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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. game — a match
  7. field — a subject
  8. ball — a great time
  9. firm — steady
  10. game — wild animals
  11. firm — a company
  12. staff — a stick
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. bear — the animal
  16. ball — a dance
  17. staff — employees
  18. firm — decided
  19. staff — employees
  20. wake — a trail
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. field — for sport
  24. field — farmland

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