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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. march — music
  4. net — in sport
  5. bear — the animal
  6. tear — to rip
  7. ball — a dance
  8. tear — from crying
  9. charge — electricity
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. cue — for pool
  12. bear — the animal
  13. march — the month
  14. cue — a hint
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. net — after costs
  17. march — the month
  18. charge — a price
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. ball — a great time
  21. tear — from crying
  22. mine — for digging
  23. cue — a signal
  24. net — for catching

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