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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. capital — money
  4. capital — a city
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. bear — the animal
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. perch — the fish
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. pop — music
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. shower — rain
  18. craft — a skill
  19. pop — to visit
  20. craft — boats
  21. pop — soda
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. bear — the animal
  24. shower — to wash

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