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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. cap — a lid
  4. file — a document
  5. file — a line of people
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. cap — of ice
  14. charge — a price
  15. charge — in control
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. file — a tool
  19. fork — in a road
  20. cap — a hat
  21. charge — electricity
  22. kick — in football
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — the animal

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