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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Word bank
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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. fine — high quality
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. bear — the animal
  6. capital — a city
  7. bear — the animal
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. scale — size or range
  10. scale — in music
  11. fine — all right
  12. chair — a leader
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. capital — money
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. kick — in football
  18. chair — a professorship

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