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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 black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. firm — decided
  4. cap — a lid
  5. present — the time now
  6. current — of water
  7. capital — a city
  8. pit — in a race
  9. bear — the animal
  10. current — happening now
  11. cap — a hat
  12. field — a subject
  13. firm — a company
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. field — farmland
  16. cap — of ice
  17. current — electric
  18. present — a gift
  19. pit — a hole
  20. firm — steady
  21. capital — money
  22. field — for sport
  23. present — there
  24. bear — to put up with

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