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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. capital — money
  3. bear — the animal
  4. last — finally
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. craft — boats
  7. craft — a skill
  8. deal — to handle
  9. mug — a face
  10. bear — the animal
  11. tube — a container
  12. mug — to rob
  13. tube — the underground
  14. last — final
  15. last — to go on
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. land — ground
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. land — a country
  22. land — to come down
  23. capital — a city
  24. mug — a cup

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