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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. current — electric
  3. bound — tied together
  4. game — a match
  5. game — wild animals
  6. bear — the animal
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bank — for money
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bound — certain
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. rest — a break
  17. current — of water
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bank — of a river
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. kick — in football
  23. bank — for money
  24. current — happening now

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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