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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. bear — the animal
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. bear — the animal
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. season — in sport
  8. season — of the year
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. capital — money
  13. plane — a tool
  14. capital — a city
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. pass — a permit
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. rock — a stone

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