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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bear — the animal
  3. firm — steady
  4. firm — a company
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. bear — the animal
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. deal — to handle
  10. firm — decided
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. stem — to come from
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. pitcher — a jug

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