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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bound — tied together
  3. ground — crushed
  4. degree — from a university
  5. bound — obliged
  6. ground — a position
  7. bear — the animal
  8. capital — money
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. kick — in football
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. fall — to drop
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — for money
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. degree — temperature
  18. fall — the season
  19. degree — an amount
  20. fall — to drop
  21. ground — the earth
  22. bound — certain
  23. capital — a city
  24. bank — of a river

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