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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. track — a song
  3. firm — decided
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. object — to protest
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. object — an aim
  12. game — wild animals
  13. track — a path
  14. object — a thing
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. firm — a company
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. season — of the year
  19. mine — for digging
  20. date — the fruit
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. track — to keep track
  23. firm — steady
  24. game — a match

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