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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. hand — in cards
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. pound — a weight
  6. present — there
  7. bound — obliged
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bear — the animal
  11. fork — in a road
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. hand — help
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bound — certain
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. present — a gift
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. present — the time now
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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