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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. band — a ring
  4. charge — a price
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pit — a hole
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. charge — in control
  9. mate — to breed
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. band — a music group
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. charge — electricity
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. pit — in a race
  17. bear — the animal
  18. mate — a partner
  19. staff — employees
  20. pound — a weight
  21. staff — employees
  22. staff — a stick
  23. mate — a friend
  24. pitcher — a jug

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