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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. firm — a company
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. capital — money
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. perch — the fish
  9. capital — a city
  10. rush — hurry
  11. tube — a container
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. chair — a leader
  14. firm — steady
  15. firm — decided
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. track — a song
  20. tube — the underground
  21. track — a path
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. bear — the animal
  24. track — to keep track

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