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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. deal — to handle
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. snap — to click
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. band — a ring
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. rash — a series
  10. field — a subject
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. field — for sport
  13. date — the fruit
  14. bear — the animal
  15. rash — hasty
  16. field — farmland
  17. band — a music group
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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