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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. capital — money
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. net — after costs
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. net — for catching
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. pit — in a race
  15. sharp — clever
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. pit — a hole
  20. capital — a city
  21. scale — size or range
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. scale — in music
  24. net — in 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