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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. charge — a price
  4. degree — temperature
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. spring — a coil
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. degree — an amount
  9. bear — the animal
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. degree — from a university
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. mark — a grade
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. spring — of water
  19. bear — the animal
  20. charge — electricity
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. charge — in control
  23. spring — the season
  24. mark — a trace

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