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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. firm — decided
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rash — hasty
  11. object — to protest
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bear — the animal
  14. firm — a company
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. rash — a series
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. firm — steady
  19. object — an aim
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. capital — a city
  22. capital — money
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. object — a thing

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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