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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. stock — shares
  3. bear — the animal
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. spell — letters
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. bore — to drill
  8. cap — a lid
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. stock — goods
  11. charge — electricity
  12. bore — to tire
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. cap — a hat
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. vault — a safe
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. cap — of ice
  21. spell — magic
  22. spell — a short time
  23. charge — a price
  24. charge — in control

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