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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. capital — money
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. scale — in music
  7. bore — to tire
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. toast — bread
  11. snap — to click
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. bear — the animal
  15. capital — a city
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. scale — size or range
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bear — the animal

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