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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 116 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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. bear — the animal
  3. pop — music
  4. ground — the earth
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. cap — of ice
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. kick — in football
  9. cap — a lid
  10. key — in music
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. ground — crushed
  13. cap — a hat
  14. key — the most important part
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. pop — to visit
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. ground — a position
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bear — the animal
  22. branch — a division
  23. key — for a lock
  24. kick — with a leg

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