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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. bear — the animal
  3. capital — a city
  4. squash — to crush
  5. bound — certain
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. toast — bread
  8. stand — to bear
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. squash — the sport
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. bound — obliged
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. capital — money
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. deal — to handle
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bear — the animal
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. squash — the vegetable

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