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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. bear — the animal
  4. game — wild animals
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. charge — in control
  8. charge — electricity
  9. mate — a partner
  10. spell — letters
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. mate — to breed
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. charge — a price
  16. fork — in a road
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. spell — magic
  20. game — a match
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. mate — a friend
  23. spell — a short time
  24. fork — to eat with

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