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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. spring — a coil
  3. cap — a hat
  4. cap — of ice
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bear — the animal
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. cap — a lid
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. ground — the earth
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. hand — in cards
  13. charge — in control
  14. bear — the animal
  15. deal — to handle
  16. charge — electricity
  17. hand — help
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. ground — crushed
  22. spring — the season
  23. ground — a position
  24. spring — of water

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