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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 116 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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. capital — money
  3. bear — the animal
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. bound — obliged
  6. race — a contest
  7. bear — the animal
  8. kick — in football
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. ball — a dance
  11. game — a match
  12. bound — tied together
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. race — the arms race
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. race — humankind
  21. bound — certain
  22. game — wild animals
  23. ball — a great time
  24. kick — a thrill

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