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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. can — a tin
  3. pop — soda
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. can — to be able to
  6. cue — a hint
  7. pop — to visit
  8. last — to go on
  9. cue — for pool
  10. pop — music
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. cue — a signal
  13. last — final
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — of a river
  16. wind — moving air
  17. capital — a city
  18. can — a tin
  19. last — finally
  20. bank — for money
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. capital — a big letter

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