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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. swing — music
  4. key — the most important part
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. swing — to play on
  7. key — in music
  8. cell — in biology
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. firm — a company
  12. perch — the fish
  13. swing — in golf
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. key — for a lock
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. firm — steady
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. cell — a phone
  22. dip — to sink
  23. bear — the animal
  24. firm — decided

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