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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. track — a path
  3. board — a committee
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. capital — money
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. board — to get on
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. capital — a city
  10. perch — the fish
  11. date — the fruit
  12. saw — the tool
  13. track — a song
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. wound — an injury
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. saw — the tool
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. wound — an injury
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. track — to keep track
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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