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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. cue — for pool
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. bear — the animal
  5. firm — steady
  6. spell — a short time
  7. capital — money
  8. game — a match
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. firm — a company
  11. cue — a signal
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. spell — magic
  14. game — wild animals
  15. ground — the earth
  16. ground — a position
  17. spell — letters
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. capital — a city
  20. ground — crushed
  21. cue — a hint
  22. firm — decided
  23. kick — in football
  24. kick — a thrill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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