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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. ground — a position
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. pass — a permit
  5. ground — crushed
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. bear — the animal
  9. ground — the earth
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. cap — a lid
  12. cap — of ice
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. pitch — completely
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. capital — a city
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. bear — the animal
  22. capital — money
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. cap — a hat

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