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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. craft — boats
  3. present — the time now
  4. press — a publisher
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. bear — the animal
  7. press — to push
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bear — the animal
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. present — there
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. capital — money
  16. press — newspapers
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. capital — a city
  19. present — a gift
  20. fine — all right
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. craft — a skill
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. bear — to put up with

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