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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. current — happening now
  4. capital — money
  5. capital — a city
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bass — low music
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. foot — a measure
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bass — the fish
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. current — of water
  18. current — electric

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