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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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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. cap — a lid
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. root — of a word
  6. cap — of ice
  7. chair — a leader
  8. cap — a hat
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. content — the amount
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — the animal
  13. mug — a cup
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. spring — of water
  16. root — the cause
  17. mug — to rob
  18. root — of a plant
  19. spring — a coil
  20. content — happy
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. mug — a face
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. spring — the season

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