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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. mug — a face
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. court — of law
  5. track — a song
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. track — a path
  8. net — after costs
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. cap — of ice
  11. bear — the animal
  12. season — of the year
  13. mug — a cup
  14. season — in sport
  15. cap — a hat
  16. rush — hurry
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. net — in sport
  19. court — for sport
  20. track — to keep track
  21. court — of a king
  22. mug — to rob
  23. cap — a lid
  24. net — for catching

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