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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. charge — in control
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. charge — a price
  5. bear — the animal
  6. staff — employees
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. land — a country
  9. perch — the fish
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. staff — employees
  12. ground — the earth
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. staff — a stick
  16. land — to come down
  17. ground — crushed
  18. land — ground
  19. scale — size or range
  20. bear — the animal
  21. scale — in music
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. charge — electricity
  24. ground — a position

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