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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. tube — a container
  7. sharp — clever
  8. bear — the animal
  9. current — of water
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. current — happening now
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. current — electric
  14. last — to go on
  15. tube — the underground
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. chair — a leader
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. date — the fruit
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. last — final
  22. last — finally
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. bear — to put up with

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