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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — the animal
  3. ground — the earth
  4. mug — a cup
  5. ground — a position
  6. current — electric
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. ground — crushed
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. current — happening now
  14. fork — in a road
  15. mug — to rob
  16. clip — a video
  17. spring — the season
  18. spring — a coil
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. clip — to cut
  21. current — of water
  22. mug — a face
  23. clip — for paper
  24. spring — of water

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