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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. charge — in control
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. pitch — completely
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. cue — a hint
  9. charge — a price
  10. dip — to sink
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. charge — electricity
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. cue — for pool
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. net — after costs
  20. net — for catching
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. bear — the animal
  23. net — in sport
  24. cue — a signal

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