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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. pitch — completely
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. dip — to sink
  5. suit — clothes
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. suit — to fit
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. bear — the animal
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. deal — to handle
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. wind — moving air
  16. degree — temperature
  17. wind — moving air
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. degree — from a university
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. prune — to trim
  23. degree — an amount
  24. suit — in cards

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