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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. cap — a lid
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. branch — a division
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bass — low music
  10. rock — music
  11. plane — a tool
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. cap — a hat
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. rock — a stone
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. capital — a city
  22. capital — money
  23. cap — of ice
  24. dip — to sink

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