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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. bear — the animal
  3. charge — electricity
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. charge — a price
  6. clip — to cut
  7. staff — a stick
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — employees
  10. clip — for paper
  11. drill — army training
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. bear — the animal
  15. club — for dancing
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. club — a group
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. club — for golf
  20. sharp — clever
  21. clip — a video
  22. charge — in control
  23. pound — a weight
  24. drill — the tool

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