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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. can — a tin
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bear — the animal
  6. can — to be able to
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. pitch — completely
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. face — to point toward
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. face — part of the head
  19. can — a tin
  20. face — to confront
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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