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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 116 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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — the animal
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. mine — for digging
  5. rule — a law
  6. club — for golf
  7. club — for dancing
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. content — the amount
  13. capital — a city
  14. capital — money
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. bore — to drill
  17. chip — to eat
  18. content — happy
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. bore — to tire
  21. club — a group
  22. rule — government
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. chip — for betting

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