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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 120 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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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: mouse · pop · wave · bear · capital · rock · chest · game

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. rock — a stone
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. chest — a box
  6. capital — a city
  7. pop — to visit
  8. pop — music
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. pop — soda
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. capital — money
  16. rock — music
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. chest — of your body
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — the animal
  22. game — a match
  23. chest — of your body
  24. game — wild animals

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