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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bear — the animal
  4. roll — a list
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. court — of law
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. court — of a king
  12. roll — a cake
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. spell — magic
  16. bass — low music
  17. court — for sport
  18. bear — the animal
  19. spell — a short time
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. fork — in a road
  22. spell — letters
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. stem — to come from

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