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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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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: deal · bear · toast · bulb · racket · straw · wind · capital

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. toast — bread
  6. wind — moving air
  7. capital — a city
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. bear — the animal
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. deal — to handle
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bulb — for light
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. bulb — for light
  24. capital — money

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