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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. capital — a city
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bank — of a river
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. tear — from crying
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. tear — from crying
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bank — for money
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. tear — to rip
  16. bear — the animal
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bank — for money
  20. perch — the fish
  21. toast — bread
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. capital — money
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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