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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: suit · season · fan · tear · ground · rule · game · bear

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. ground — the earth
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. ground — a position
  6. rule — a law
  7. bear — the animal
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. tear — to rip
  10. tear — from crying
  11. suit — in cards
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. game — a match
  15. suit — to fit
  16. ground — crushed
  17. suit — clothes
  18. tear — from crying
  19. rule — government
  20. bear — the animal
  21. game — wild animals
  22. season — in sport
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. season — of the year

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