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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. game — wild animals
  3. spell — letters
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bear — the animal
  6. degree — temperature
  7. firm — decided
  8. firm — steady
  9. charge — in control
  10. charge — a price
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. game — a match
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. degree — an amount
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. charge — electricity
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. firm — a company
  19. spell — magic
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. spell — a short time
  22. pound — a weight
  23. degree — from a university
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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