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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. pop — music
  4. bear — the animal
  5. fall — the season
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. fall — to drop
  11. pop — to visit
  12. net — after costs
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. bear — the animal
  15. season — in sport
  16. pop — soda
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. season — of the year
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. net — for catching
  22. fall — to drop
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. fan — a supporter

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