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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. bear — the animal
  5. race — humankind
  6. court — of law
  7. court — for sport
  8. roll — a cake
  9. bank — for money
  10. craft — boats
  11. race — the arms race
  12. bear — the animal
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. bank — for money
  15. race — a contest
  16. club — for golf
  17. bank — of a river
  18. club — a group
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. craft — a skill
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. court — of a king
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. club — for dancing

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