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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. season — of the year
  4. track — a song
  5. current — of water
  6. chip — to eat
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. track — to keep track
  9. fine — high quality
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. wake — a trail
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bear — the animal
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. track — a path
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. current — electric
  20. chip — for betting
  21. fine — all right
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. current — happening now
  24. season — in sport

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