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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. kid — child
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. scale — size or range
  10. spell — a short time
  11. kid — to tease
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. prune — to trim
  14. net — for catching
  15. spell — magic
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. scale — in music
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. net — after costs
  23. prune — to trim
  24. spell — letters

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