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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. band — a music group
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. branch — a division
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. stand — to bear
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. capital — money
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. capital — a city
  16. band — a ring
  17. firm — steady
  18. bear — the animal
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. firm — decided
  21. firm — a company
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. stand — on your feet

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