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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 120 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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bear — the animal
  4. charge — a price
  5. degree — from a university
  6. stand — to bear
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. degree — an amount
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. bear — the animal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. charge — electricity
  13. content — happy
  14. charge — in control
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. content — the amount
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. degree — temperature

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