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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. ground — crushed
  3. ground — the earth
  4. mug — a face
  5. track — a path
  6. spring — the season
  7. bear — the animal
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. spring — a coil
  10. track — to keep track
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. mug — to rob
  13. fine — all right
  14. rash — a series
  15. track — a song
  16. ground — a position
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. spring — of water
  19. fork — in a road
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bear — the animal
  22. mug — a cup
  23. rash — hasty
  24. fine — high quality

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