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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. object — to protest
  3. object — a thing
  4. game — wild animals
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. bear — the animal
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bass — low music
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. capital — a city
  14. march — the month
  15. bear — the animal
  16. march — the month
  17. bass — the fish
  18. capital — money
  19. march — music
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. object — an aim
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. game — a match
  24. lash — to lash out

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