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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. bear — the animal
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. rest — a break
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. chip — to eat
  9. capital — a city
  10. ball — a dance
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. rest — what's left
  13. land — ground
  14. capital — money
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. stand — to bear
  18. chip — for betting
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. ball — a great time
  21. bear — the animal
  22. land — a country
  23. land — to come down
  24. rest — what's left

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