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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 116 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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. mate — to breed
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. mate — a partner
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. mate — a friend
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. capital — money
  11. capital — a city
  12. content — the amount
  13. bear — the animal
  14. content — happy
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. 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