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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. rest — what's left
  3. capital — money
  4. content — happy
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. rest — a break
  7. firm — a company
  8. rest — what's left
  9. capital — a city
  10. fine — all right
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. current — happening now
  13. fine — high quality
  14. firm — steady
  15. bear — the animal
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. bear — the animal
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. current — of water
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. firm — decided
  22. current — electric
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. plane — a tool

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