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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. row — a line
  3. scale — in music
  4. staff — employees
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. scale — size or range
  8. chip — for betting
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. kick — in football
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. row — to paddle
  13. staff — a stick
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. chip — to eat
  17. bear — the animal
  18. wake — a trail
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mark — a trace
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. staff — employees
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. bear — to put up 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