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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. bear — the animal
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bear — the animal
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bank — for money
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bank — for money
  18. game — wild animals
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bank — of a river
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. game — a match
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. capital — a city

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