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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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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: sharp · capital · bear · mug · wake · court · perch · wound

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. wake — a trail
  3. mug — a cup
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. perch — the fish
  10. mug — to rob
  11. capital — a city
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. capital — money
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. court — for sport
  16. sharp — clever
  17. wound — an injury
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. court — of a king
  21. mug — a face
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. court — of law
  24. wound — an injury

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