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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. mate — a friend
  3. firm — steady
  4. mate — a partner
  5. firm — decided
  6. firm — a company
  7. field — a subject
  8. net — after costs
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. net — in sport
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. bear — the animal
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. fine — all right
  15. field — for sport
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. mate — to breed
  18. bulb — for light
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. net — for catching
  21. bulb — for light
  22. fine — high quality
  23. field — farmland
  24. bulb — of a plant

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