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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. rock — a stone
  3. foot — a measure
  4. craft — boats
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. key — the most important part
  7. key — in music
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. bear — the animal
  12. march — the month
  13. march — music
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. chair — a leader
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. key — for a lock
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. bear — the animal
  22. rock — music
  23. march — the month
  24. craft — a skill

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