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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — the animal
  3. charge — in control
  4. lean — thin
  5. tube — a container
  6. content — the amount
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. lean — to bend
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. tube — the underground
  11. spell — magic
  12. charge — a price
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. spell — letters
  16. content — happy
  17. spell — a short time
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. pitch — completely
  22. charge — electricity
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. deal — to handle

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