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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 116 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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. firm — a company
  5. bear — the animal
  6. game — wild animals
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. deal — to handle
  9. game — a match
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. firm — decided
  13. bark — to shout
  14. fall — the season
  15. capital — a city
  16. firm — steady
  17. pit — in a race
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. fall — to drop
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. bear — the animal
  24. pit — a hole

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