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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. capital — money
  3. sharp — clever
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. present — the time now
  8. capital — a city
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. present — a gift
  11. game — a match
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. game — wild animals
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bass — low music
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. bass — the fish
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. rule — government
  22. rule — a law
  23. present — there
  24. capital — a big letter

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