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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — the animal
  4. pit — a hole
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. capital — a city
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. bat — the animal
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wake — a trail
  15. squash — to crush
  16. pit — in a race
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. club — a group
  19. capital — money
  20. club — for golf
  21. club — for dancing
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. squash — the sport

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