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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 120 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. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. ground — a position
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. swing — to play on
  5. bass — the fish
  6. fine — all right
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. ground — the earth
  9. bass — low music
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. fine — high quality
  12. swing — music
  13. pit — a hole
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. capital — money
  20. ground — crushed
  21. swing — in golf
  22. pit — in a race
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. capital — a city

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