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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. pass — a permit
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. content — the amount
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. deal — to handle
  13. capital — a city
  14. wake — a trail
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. capital — money
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. foot — a measure
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. content — happy
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. wake — before a funeral

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