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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. bear — the animal
  3. charge — electricity
  4. scale — in music
  5. spring — a coil
  6. pit — in a race
  7. tear — to rip
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. scale — size or range
  10. charge — in control
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. rush — hurry
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bear — the animal
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. tear — from crying
  17. spring — of water
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. pit — a hole
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. tear — from crying
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. spring — the season

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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