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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 black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. court — of law
  3. track — a song
  4. hand — help
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. rush — hurry
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. rock — a stone
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. court — of a king
  12. track — to keep track
  13. bear — the animal
  14. hand — in cards
  15. capital — money
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. court — for sport
  19. capital — a city
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. rock — music
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. track — a path

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