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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 120 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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. pit — a hole
  3. bear — the animal
  4. current — electric
  5. spell — letters
  6. game — wild animals
  7. pit — in a race
  8. drill — army training
  9. game — a match
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. snap — to click
  12. spell — magic
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. suit — to fit
  15. current — happening now
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. suit — clothes
  18. drill — the tool
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. spell — a short time
  21. current — of water
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. suit — in cards
  24. drill — a practice

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