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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. drill — the tool
  4. drill — a practice
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bound — tied together
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. race — a contest
  12. bound — certain
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. race — humankind
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. kid — child
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. race — the arms race
  19. perch — the fish
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. kid — to tease
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. drill — army training
  24. bound — obliged

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