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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. row — to paddle
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. charge — electricity
  6. bear — the animal
  7. charge — a price
  8. game — a match
  9. rule — government
  10. file — a tool
  11. row — a line
  12. rule — a law
  13. capital — a city
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. charge — in control
  18. bear — the animal
  19. file — a document
  20. game — wild animals
  21. file — a line of people
  22. capital — money
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. rule — to rule out

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