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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. can — a tin
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. firm — decided
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. file — a document
  9. capital — money
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. can — to be able to
  14. hand — in cards
  15. pass — a permit
  16. file — a tool
  17. capital — a city
  18. file — a line of people
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. hand — help
  21. firm — a company
  22. firm — steady
  23. rock — music
  24. rock — a stone

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