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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 120 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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. hand — in cards
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. snap — to click
  5. swing — to play on
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bear — the animal
  8. craft — a skill
  9. track — a path
  10. track — a song
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. swing — in golf
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. hand — help
  15. swing — music
  16. pit — a hole
  17. track — to keep track
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. craft — boats
  24. pit — in a race

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