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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. pop — soda
  3. bear — the animal
  4. rest — a break
  5. rest — what's left
  6. can — a tin
  7. rest — what's left
  8. capital — a city
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. capital — money
  14. perch — the fish
  15. chip — for betting
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. pop — to visit
  20. can — to be able to
  21. dip — to sink
  22. chip — to eat
  23. can — a tin
  24. pop — music

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