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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. march — the month
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. ground — crushed
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. charge — electricity
  9. bear — the animal
  10. deal — to handle
  11. ground — the earth
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. march — music
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. charge — in control
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. charge — a price
  20. bear — the animal
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. perch — the fish
  23. ground — a position
  24. march — the month

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