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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. charge — a price
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. saw — the tool
  8. charge — electricity
  9. spell — a short time
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. charge — in control
  13. degree — temperature
  14. bear — the animal
  15. board — to get on
  16. spell — letters
  17. spell — magic
  18. foot — a measure
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. kid — child
  21. degree — from a university
  22. degree — an amount
  23. board — a committee
  24. kid — to tease

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