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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. rest — what's left
  4. ball — a dance
  5. rock — music
  6. perch — the fish
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. ball — a great time
  10. lean — to bend
  11. capital — a city
  12. bear — the animal
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. rest — what's left
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. lean — thin
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. bear — the animal
  20. chip — to eat
  21. rock — a stone
  22. rest — a break
  23. capital — money
  24. rock — to move gently

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