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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. swing — in golf
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. spring — of water
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. bear — the animal
  8. spring — the season
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. swing — music
  11. firm — a company
  12. game — wild animals
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. firm — decided
  15. mark — a trace
  16. firm — steady
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. spring — a coil
  20. game — a match
  21. mark — a grade
  22. swing — to play on
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bear — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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