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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. capital — a city
  4. hand — help
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. firm — steady
  7. bank — for money
  8. firm — decided
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bear — the animal
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. bank — for money
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. firm — a company
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. perch — the fish
  20. hand — in cards
  21. bear — the animal
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. pass — a permit

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