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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cell · charge · stick · can · march · bear · jam · game

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. march — the month
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. can — to be able to
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. can — a tin
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. charge — a price
  9. bear — the animal
  10. cell — in biology
  11. game — wild animals
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. march — music
  16. charge — in control
  17. march — the month
  18. game — a match
  19. cell — a phone
  20. charge — electricity
  21. can — a tin
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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