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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. tube — a container
  4. bass — low music
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. tube — the underground
  8. perch — the fish
  9. spell — magic
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bass — the fish
  13. spring — of water
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. spring — the season
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. spell — a short time
  21. bear — the animal
  22. spring — a coil
  23. spell — letters
  24. foot — a measure

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