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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. track — to keep track
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. root — of a word
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bear — the animal
  11. perch — the fish
  12. track — a song
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. game — a match
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. root — of a plant
  17. track — a path
  18. swing — to play on
  19. root — the cause
  20. game — wild animals
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. swing — music
  23. swing — in golf
  24. pass — a permit

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