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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 second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. sharp — clever
  4. press — a publisher
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — moving air
  7. press — to push
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. suit — clothes
  14. press — newspapers
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. cap — of ice
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. cap — a hat
  19. suit — to fit
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. cap — a lid
  23. suit — in cards
  24. capital — a city

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