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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  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 — to put up with
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. craft — a skill
  5. shower — rain
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. capital — money
  9. bear — the animal
  10. shower — to wash
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bear — the animal
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. ground — crushed
  15. rest — what's left
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. ground — a position
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — a break
  21. capital — a city
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. ground — the earth
  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