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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. perch — the fish
  3. bass — the fish
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. capital — a city
  6. branch — a division
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bass — low music
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. court — of a king
  13. court — for sport
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. court — of law
  17. object — to protest
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. object — a thing
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. object — an aim
  24. bass — the instrument

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