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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.

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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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. cap — a hat
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. charge — electricity
  6. rash — a series
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. court — of law
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. rash — hasty
  11. charge — in control
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. bear — the animal
  14. cap — a lid
  15. charge — a price
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. stock — shares
  21. court — for sport
  22. stock — goods
  23. cap — of ice
  24. court — of a king

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