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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. ball — a great time
  3. bear — the animal
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. sharp — clever
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. ball — a dance
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bark — to shout
  17. track — to keep track
  18. perch — the fish
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. track — a song
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. track — a path
  24. fan — a supporter

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