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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.

Make a worksheet

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
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: land · suit · key · prune · capital · bear · mug · temple

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — the animal
  3. suit — in cards
  4. suit — clothes
  5. mug — a cup
  6. mug — to rob
  7. prune — to trim
  8. key — the most important part
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. suit — to fit
  11. key — in music
  12. land — a country
  13. mug — a face
  14. land — ground
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. capital — money
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. prune — to trim
  19. capital — a city
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. key — for a lock
  24. land — to come down

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