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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. game — wild animals
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bear — the animal
  6. last — finally
  7. bore — to tire
  8. charge — a price
  9. ground — crushed
  10. charge — in control
  11. last — final
  12. ground — the earth
  13. fine — all right
  14. lean — to bend
  15. lean — thin
  16. bore — to drill
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. game — a match
  19. bear — the animal
  20. last — to go on
  21. fine — high quality
  22. ground — a position
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. charge — electricity

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