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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.

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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. band — a ring
  3. bear — the animal
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. band — a music group
  6. capital — money
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. capital — a city
  13. stock — goods
  14. bear — the animal
  15. rock — a stone
  16. key — the most important part
  17. stock — shares
  18. key — for a lock
  19. rock — music
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. bulb — for light
  22. key — in music
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. bulb — for light

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