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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 116 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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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. pitch — a sales talk
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. rest — what's left
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. capital — money
  10. band — a music group
  11. ball — a dance
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ball — a great time
  15. lean — to bend
  16. lean — thin
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. scale — in music
  19. scale — size or range
  20. band — a ring
  21. capital — a city
  22. pitch — completely
  23. rest — a break
  24. bay — a horse colour

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