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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 black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bear — the animal
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bass — low music
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. key — for a lock
  9. capital — a city
  10. bear — the animal
  11. pound — a weight
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. current — electric
  15. current — happening now
  16. capital — money
  17. key — in music
  18. current — of water
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bass — the fish
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. key — the most important part
  23. cell — a phone
  24. cell — in biology

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