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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. present — a gift
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pound — a weight
  5. root — of a word
  6. bear — the animal
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. root — the cause
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. mark — a trace
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. charge — electricity
  16. mark — a grade
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. present — there
  19. bear — the animal
  20. root — of a plant
  21. charge — a price
  22. charge — in control
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. present — the time now

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