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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. scale — in music
  5. bank — for money
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. bank — of a river
  10. capital — a city
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mug — to rob
  14. mine — for digging
  15. capital — money
  16. mug — a face
  17. bank — for money
  18. bound — certain
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. scale — size or range
  24. bound — tied together

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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