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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. clip — a video
  4. clip — for paper
  5. bear — the animal
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. bank — for money
  12. fine — high quality
  13. mine — for digging
  14. clip — to cut
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. stand — to bear
  17. charge — in control
  18. charge — electricity
  19. bank — for money
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. fine — all right
  22. bank — of a river
  23. charge — a price
  24. racket — for tennis

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