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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 120 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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. present — there
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. saw — the tool
  7. court — of law
  8. present — the time now
  9. bear — the animal
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — to trim
  12. court — for sport
  13. present — a gift
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. root — the cause
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. bass — low music
  19. root — of a word
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. root — of a plant
  22. saw — the tool
  23. court — of a king
  24. bass — the fish

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