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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. charge — electricity
  3. toast — bread
  4. firm — steady
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. charge — a price
  7. rash — hasty
  8. charge — in control
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. bear — the animal
  11. prune — to trim
  12. firm — a company
  13. kid — child
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. kid — to tease
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. rash — a series
  22. firm — decided
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. bat — the animal

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