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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. present — there
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. bear — the animal
  8. present — the time now
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. capital — a city
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mine — for digging
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. pitch — completely
  18. capital — money
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. present — a gift
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. bear — the animal

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