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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 120 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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. capital — money
  3. capital — a city
  4. net — for catching
  5. lie — to recline
  6. scale — size or range
  7. net — in sport
  8. mine — for digging
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. chair — a leader
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. charge — electricity
  19. scale — in music
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. net — after costs
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. charge — in control
  24. charge — a price

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