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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tear · bear · squash · capital · mouse · jam · season · coach

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. tear — from crying
  5. squash — the sport
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bear — the animal
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. bear — the animal
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. season — of the year
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. capital — a city
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. season — in sport
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. squash — to crush
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. tear — to rip
  24. tear — from crying

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