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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. ball — a great time
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. kid — to tease
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. track — a song
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. bear — the animal
  12. kid — child
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. lean — thin
  15. ball — a dance
  16. game — wild animals
  17. track — to keep track
  18. game — a match
  19. bear — the animal
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. lean — to bend
  24. track — a path

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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