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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. capital — money
  3. object — an aim
  4. capital — a city
  5. track — a song
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. object — to protest
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. row — to paddle
  14. object — a thing
  15. track — to keep track
  16. rush — hurry
  17. row — a line
  18. track — a path
  19. date — the fruit
  20. pass — a permit
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. rush — to hurry

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