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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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468
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: bear · hide · bass · capital · mouse · kid · craft · tube

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. kid — child
  3. bear — the animal
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. kid — to tease
  8. capital — a city
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. bass — low music
  11. capital — money
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. tube — the underground
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. bass — the fish
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. tube — a container
  22. bear — the animal
  23. craft — boats
  24. craft — a skill

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