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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. capital — money
  3. ball — a great time
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. mate — to breed
  6. drill — a practice
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. ground — a position
  9. drill — the tool
  10. ground — crushed
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. plane — a tool
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. capital — a city
  15. ground — the earth
  16. pass — a permit
  17. ball — a dance
  18. drill — army training
  19. bear — the animal
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. mate — a partner
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. mate — a friend

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