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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. firm — steady
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bank — for money
  5. present — the time now
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. present — there
  8. firm — a company
  9. bank — of a river
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. bear — the animal
  12. foot — a measure
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. firm — decided
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. capital — money
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. roll — a list
  20. roll — a cake
  21. capital — a city
  22. present — a gift
  23. bank — for money
  24. season — of the year

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