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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 116 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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. saw — the tool
  5. mark — a trace
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. saw — the tool
  8. fine — all right
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. mark — a grade
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cap — a lid
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. cap — a hat
  15. current — electric
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. pitch — completely
  20. bear — the animal
  21. current — of water
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. current — happening now
  24. fine — high quality

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