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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. march — the month
  4. march — music
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. bear — the animal
  9. track — a song
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. prune — to trim
  13. march — the month
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. court — for sport
  16. court — of a king
  17. board — to get on
  18. board — a committee
  19. court — of law
  20. mine — for digging
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. prune — to trim
  23. track — a path
  24. track — to keep track

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