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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. ground — the earth
  3. capital — a city
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. bear — the animal
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. craft — a skill
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. rush — hurry
  17. ground — a position
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. ground — crushed
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. capital — money
  24. craft — boats

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