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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. bear — the animal
  4. stand — to bear
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. capital — a city
  7. field — a subject
  8. scale — size or range
  9. track — to keep track
  10. field — for sport
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. track — a path
  15. capital — money
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. scale — in music
  20. track — a song
  21. foot — a measure
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. field — farmland
  24. temple — a place of worship

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