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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. bear — the animal
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. club — for dancing
  5. firm — decided
  6. face — part of the head
  7. club — for golf
  8. can — a tin
  9. scale — size or range
  10. can — to be able to
  11. root — the cause
  12. firm — a company
  13. face — to confront
  14. face — to point toward
  15. bear — the animal
  16. root — of a word
  17. firm — steady
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. can — a tin
  20. scale — in music
  21. row — to paddle
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. club — a group
  24. root — of a plant

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