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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. mug — to rob
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. capital — a city
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. present — the time now
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bass — the fish
  10. present — there
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. capital — money
  13. mug — a cup
  14. bass — low music
  15. current — electric
  16. hand — help
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. present — a gift
  19. bear — the animal
  20. current — of water
  21. bear — the animal
  22. current — happening now
  23. mug — a face
  24. capital — a big letter

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