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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 black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bear — the animal
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. bear — the animal
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. capital — money
  10. mark — a grade
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. capital — a city
  14. hand — in cards
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. mark — a trace
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. hand — help
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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