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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bear — the animal
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. fine — all right
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. fine — high quality
  10. degree — an amount
  11. degree — from a university
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. toast — bread
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. degree — temperature
  18. club — for golf
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. club — for dancing
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. club — a group
  24. fine — a penalty

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