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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. 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. jam — in traffic
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. capital — a city
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. toast — bread
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rock — music
  17. rock — a stone
  18. 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