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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. fork — in a road
  3. swing — in golf
  4. suit — in cards
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. swing — music
  7. swing — to play on
  8. shower — to wash
  9. suit — clothes
  10. rule — government
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. game — a match
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. shower — rain
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. suit — to fit
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. game — wild animals
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — the animal
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. wake — a trail
  23. rule — a law
  24. wake — before a funeral

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