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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bank — of a river
  3. staff — employees
  4. pound — a weight
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. staff — a stick
  8. court — of a king
  9. kid — child
  10. court — of law
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. bear — the animal
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. staff — employees
  15. game — a match
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. court — for sport
  20. bank — for money
  21. game — wild animals
  22. bank — for money
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. kid — to tease

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