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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. pound — a weight
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. charge — a price
  5. land — a country
  6. season — in sport
  7. bear — the animal
  8. mark — a grade
  9. fork — in a road
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. bear — the animal
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. charge — in control
  14. game — a match
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. land — ground
  17. mark — a trace
  18. season — of the year
  19. land — to come down
  20. game — wild animals
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. pound — for dogs

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