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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 116 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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. season — in sport
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. season — of the year
  5. game — a match
  6. deal — to handle
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. pop — music
  10. pit — in a race
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. race — a contest
  13. land — ground
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. pit — a hole
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. game — wild animals
  18. land — to come down
  19. pop — soda
  20. land — a country
  21. pop — to visit
  22. race — the arms race
  23. race — humankind
  24. bear — the animal

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