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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 120 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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. can — to be able to
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. bear — the animal
  6. can — a tin
  7. foot — a measure
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. charge — electricity
  11. can — a tin
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. row — a line
  15. charge — a price
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. mug — to rob
  19. row — to paddle
  20. mug — a face
  21. charge — in control
  22. mug — a cup
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. bat — the animal

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