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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. spring — a coil
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. net — in sport
  7. object — a thing
  8. mark — a trace
  9. wind — moving air
  10. sharp — clever
  11. net — for catching
  12. spring — the season
  13. pit — in a race
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bear — the animal
  19. pit — a hole
  20. net — after costs
  21. object — to protest
  22. bear — the animal
  23. object — an aim
  24. spring — of water

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