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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. firm — a company
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. rock — music
  7. branch — a division
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rock — a stone
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. court — of a king
  14. capital — money
  15. firm — steady
  16. court — of law
  17. firm — decided
  18. court — for sport

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