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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. date — the fruit
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. court — of law
  7. club — for dancing
  8. band — a ring
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. club — a group
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. band — a music group
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bear — the animal
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. bear — the animal
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. club — for golf
  22. court — for sport
  23. court — of a king
  24. deal — to handle

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