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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bear — the animal
  4. rule — a law
  5. last — final
  6. last — to go on
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. rule — government
  12. last — finally
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. pop — to visit
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. pop — music
  17. bear — the animal
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. key — the most important part
  20. key — in music
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. pop — soda
  24. bowl — a football final

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