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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. bear — the animal
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. rock — music
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — of a river
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. bat — the animal
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. sharp — clever
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. bank — for money
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. rock — a stone
  19. spell — magic
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. spell — letters
  22. spell — a short time
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. pitch — completely

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