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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. squash — the sport
  4. game — a match
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. wind — moving air
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. pop — music
  10. pop — to visit
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. game — wild animals
  14. wind — moving air
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. squash — to crush
  21. pop — soda
  22. bear — the animal
  23. date — the fruit
  24. date — on the calendar

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