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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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 — a price
  3. swing — music
  4. charge — electricity
  5. swing — to play on
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. pound — a weight
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. swing — in golf
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. field — farmland
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. field — for sport
  18. field — a subject
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. charge — in control
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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