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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. pop — to visit
  3. cap — a hat
  4. club — for golf
  5. club — for dancing
  6. pop — music
  7. pop — soda
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. mate — a partner
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. mate — a friend
  13. ball — a great time
  14. cap — of ice
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. ball — a dance
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. mate — to breed
  20. club — a group
  21. bear — the animal
  22. cap — a lid
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. trunk — of a tree

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