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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. charge — in control
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. charge — a price
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. charge — electricity
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. foot — a measure
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. shower — rain
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. shower — to wash
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bear — the animal
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. bear — the animal
  24. game — wild animals

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