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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 116 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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. cap — of ice
  3. charge — electricity
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. charge — in control
  9. degree — an amount
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — a lid
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bank — for money
  14. degree — from a university
  15. sharp — clever
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bank — of a river
  19. charge — a price
  20. bank — for money
  21. degree — temperature
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. stand — to bear

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