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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. capital — a city
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. tube — a container
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. mug — a face
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. club — a group
  14. tube — the underground
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. mug — to rob
  18. capital — money
  19. mark — a trace
  20. mug — a cup
  21. club — for dancing
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. mark — a grade
  24. club — for golf

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