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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. capital — a city
  4. firm — decided
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. bass — the fish
  7. capital — money
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. wake — a trail
  10. bear — the animal
  11. pop — soda
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. pop — to visit
  15. fork — in a road
  16. pop — music
  17. chair — a leader
  18. bass — low music
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. firm — a company
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. bear — the animal
  24. fork — a garden tool

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