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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. spell — a short time
  3. club — for dancing
  4. club — for golf
  5. spell — letters
  6. club — a group
  7. pit — in a race
  8. bear — the animal
  9. pit — a hole
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. sharp — clever
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. present — the time now
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. spell — magic
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. present — a gift
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bear — the animal

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