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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. ground — a position
  4. spell — a short time
  5. cell — in biology
  6. ground — crushed
  7. bear — the animal
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. bear — the animal
  10. rule — government
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. ground — the earth
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. rock — music
  17. rule — a law
  18. cell — a phone
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. rock — a stone
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. spell — letters
  23. spell — magic
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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