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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. root — of a word
  10. bear — the animal
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. band — a music group
  13. charge — electricity
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. root — the cause
  16. charge — in control
  17. root — of a plant
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. bat — the animal
  20. band — a ring
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. charge — a price
  24. dip — to sink

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