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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. race — a contest
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. net — for catching
  5. object — to protest
  6. bat — the animal
  7. object — a thing
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. bear — the animal
  11. staff — employees
  12. fine — high quality
  13. race — humankind
  14. net — after costs
  15. object — an aim
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. race — the arms race
  20. net — in sport
  21. staff — a stick
  22. staff — employees
  23. bark — to shout
  24. fine — all right

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