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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. net — after costs
  3. suit — in cards
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. key — the most important part
  9. suit — clothes
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. net — in sport
  13. suit — to fit
  14. key — for a lock
  15. fork — in a road
  16. bear — the animal
  17. tear — from crying
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. tear — to rip
  20. key — in music
  21. tear — from crying
  22. pitch — completely
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. net — for catching

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