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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. charge — electricity
  3. staff — employees
  4. bear — the animal
  5. dip — to sink
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. swing — to play on
  8. charge — in control
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. capital — a city
  11. swing — music
  12. swing — in golf
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. charge — a price
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. race — a contest
  18. race — the arms race
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. race — humankind
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. staff — a stick
  23. capital — money
  24. staff — employees

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