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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. pound — a weight
  4. bear — the animal
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bulb — for light
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. staff — a stick
  11. bulb — for light
  12. staff — employees
  13. court — for sport
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. cell — in biology
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. court — of a king
  22. cell — a phone
  23. staff — employees
  24. court — of law

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