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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. pit — in a race
  5. squash — to crush
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. rock — a stone
  10. capital — money
  11. content — happy
  12. content — the amount
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. squash — the sport
  17. bear — the animal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. capital — a city
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. pit — a hole
  24. rock — music

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