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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. rash — hasty
  3. chest — a box
  4. pass — a permit
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. cap — a lid
  7. charge — in control
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. cap — of ice
  11. field — for sport
  12. charge — a price
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. cap — a hat
  15. field — a subject
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. chest — of your body
  19. field — farmland
  20. charge — electricity
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. rash — a series
  23. chest — of your body
  24. bear — 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