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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. net — in sport
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. pit — in a race
  6. capital — money
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. wound — an injury
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. pit — a hole
  12. stand — to bear
  13. net — after costs
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. capital — a city
  16. net — for catching
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. mark — a trace
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. wound — an injury
  23. mark — a grade
  24. mark — to pay attention

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