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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. capital — a city
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. row — a line
  7. band — a music group
  8. scale — size or range
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. row — to paddle
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. scale — in music
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. band — a ring
  16. squash — to crush
  17. squash — the sport
  18. capital — money
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bore — to tire

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