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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 124 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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — the animal
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. pitch — completely
  10. key — in music
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. land — a country
  14. key — for a lock
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. prune — to trim
  19. key — the most important part
  20. fine — high quality
  21. land — to come down
  22. land — ground
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. racket — a loud noise

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