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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. row — to paddle
  7. bank — for money
  8. capital — a city
  9. march — music
  10. bound — tied together
  11. track — a path
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. track — a song
  14. track — to keep track
  15. bank — for money
  16. row — a line
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. march — the month
  19. bound — certain
  20. bank — of a river
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. march — the month
  24. bound — obliged

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