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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. fork — in a road
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. current — electric
  7. current — of water
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. saw — the tool
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. current — happening now
  14. land — ground
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. saw — the tool
  18. land — a country
  19. bound — certain
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. land — to come down
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bound — tied together

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