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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bear — the animal
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. lean — to bend
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. foot — a measure
  12. capital — a city
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. capital — money
  18. lean — thin
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. pitcher — a jug

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