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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. track — to keep track
  3. capital — a city
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. track — a song
  6. lean — thin
  7. bear — the animal
  8. object — an aim
  9. bear — the animal
  10. object — to protest
  11. saw — the tool
  12. club — a group
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. track — a path
  15. club — for golf
  16. saw — the tool
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. club — for dancing
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. sharp — clever
  23. object — a thing
  24. lean — to bend

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