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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. march — the month
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bulb — for light
  5. branch — a division
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. chest — a box
  8. capital — a city
  9. march — music
  10. ground — a position
  11. chest — of your body
  12. bear — the animal
  13. chest — of your body
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. ground — the earth
  16. cue — for pool
  17. march — the month
  18. bulb — for light
  19. cue — a signal
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. cue — a hint
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. capital — money

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