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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — the animal
  4. root — the cause
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. band — a ring
  8. wake — a trail
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. band — a music group
  11. root — of a plant
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. stand — to bear
  18. capital — a city
  19. capital — money
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. root — of a word
  22. foot — a measure
  23. mate — a friend
  24. mate — to breed

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