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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. bear — the animal
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. lean — to bend
  7. bear — the animal
  8. ground — a position
  9. capital — a city
  10. lean — thin
  11. capital — money
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. court — of law
  14. court — for sport
  15. rock — music
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. ground — the earth
  19. ground — crushed
  20. rock — a stone
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. court — of a king

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