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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. mate — a friend
  3. bass — low music
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. bear — the animal
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. bass — the fish
  11. wound — an injury
  12. root — of a word
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. root — of a plant
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cue — for pool
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. mate — to breed
  20. root — the cause
  21. cue — a hint
  22. mate — a partner
  23. wound — an injury
  24. date — 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