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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  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 — to put up with
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. bear — the animal
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. field — a subject
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. last — to go on
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. bear — the animal
  11. last — finally
  12. net — after costs
  13. rash — a series
  14. last — final
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. net — for catching
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. rash — hasty
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. field — for sport
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. net — in 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