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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. band — a ring
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. pit — a hole
  6. date — the fruit
  7. band — a music group
  8. shower — to wash
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. pit — in a race
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. key — in music
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. bear — the animal
  16. shower — rain
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. key — the most important part
  19. rock — music
  20. net — after costs
  21. key — for a lock
  22. net — in sport
  23. rock — a stone
  24. net — for catching

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