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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. game — wild animals
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. spring — of water
  5. game — a match
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. charge — in control
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. bear — the animal
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. rash — hasty
  16. charge — a price
  17. spring — the season
  18. stock — shares
  19. stock — goods
  20. spring — a coil
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. rash — a series
  23. charge — electricity
  24. calf — a young 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