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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 116 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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bank — of a river
  3. last — final
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. cap — a lid
  7. cap — of ice
  8. ball — a great time
  9. bank — for money
  10. cap — a hat
  11. last — finally
  12. track — to keep track
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bear — the animal
  15. ball — a dance
  16. bank — for money
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. court — of law
  20. last — to go on
  21. court — of a king
  22. track — a path
  23. court — for sport
  24. track — a song

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