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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bear — the animal
  3. season — of the year
  4. charge — in control
  5. suit — clothes
  6. season — in sport
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. capital — a city
  11. bear — the animal
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. sharp — clever
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. charge — electricity
  19. charge — a price
  20. suit — to fit
  21. pound — a weight
  22. capital — money
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. suit — in cards

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