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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. wake — a trail
  7. band — a music group
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. row — to paddle
  11. band — a ring
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. charge — electricity
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. bat — the animal
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. season — in sport
  20. charge — a price
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — the animal
  23. row — a line
  24. season — of the year

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