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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. bear — the animal
  5. firm — steady
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. can — to be able to
  8. wind — moving air
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. ground — the earth
  11. game — wild animals
  12. bear — the animal
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. club — for dancing
  15. firm — decided
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. ground — a position
  19. game — a match
  20. ground — crushed
  21. club — a group
  22. firm — a company
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — a tin

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