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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bear — the animal
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. season — in sport
  6. land — to come down
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rock — music
  9. prune — to trim
  10. tube — a container
  11. prune — to trim
  12. tube — the underground
  13. land — a country
  14. bear — the animal
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. suit — in cards
  18. suit — to fit
  19. land — ground
  20. suit — clothes
  21. chair — a leader
  22. season — of the year
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. prune — the fruit

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