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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. present — the time now
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. bear — the animal
  7. court — for sport
  8. court — of a king
  9. present — there
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. foot — a measure
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. present — a gift
  15. wake — a trail
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. capital — a city
  18. capital — money
  19. plane — a tool
  20. court — of law
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. foot — the bottom

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