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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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bear — the animal
  4. rock — music
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — a tin
  7. bear — the animal
  8. capital — money
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. march — the month
  12. can — to be able to
  13. capital — a city
  14. foot — a measure
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. net — after costs
  19. net — in sport
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. net — for catching
  23. march — the month
  24. rock — a stone

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