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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. pit — a hole
  3. land — ground
  4. fall — the season
  5. club — a group
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. land — to come down
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. fall — to drop
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. fall — to drop
  14. land — a country
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. toast — bread
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. club — for golf
  20. band — a music group
  21. club — for dancing
  22. pit — in a race
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. band — a ring

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