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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: bulb · game · charge · bear · pitcher · patient · tear · calf

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. charge — electricity
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bear — the animal
  5. tear — from crying
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. tear — from crying
  8. game — wild animals
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. tear — to rip
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. game — a match
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. charge — in control
  22. charge — a price
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — a young animal

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