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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. capital — money
  3. spring — the season
  4. capital — a city
  5. drill — the tool
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. drill — a practice
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. plane — a tool
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. spring — of water
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. last — finally
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. spring — a coil
  21. last — final
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. drill — army training
  24. last — to go on

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