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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. pitch — completely
  3. chest — a box
  4. charge — a price
  5. spell — a short time
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. spell — letters
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. press — to push
  13. bear — the animal
  14. press — newspapers
  15. chest — of your body
  16. charge — electricity
  17. spell — magic
  18. stock — goods
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. chest — of your body
  21. stock — shares
  22. charge — in control
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. press — a publisher

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