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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. suit — to fit
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. suit — clothes
  6. content — the amount
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. fine — high quality
  9. suit — in cards
  10. bank — for money
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. pass — a permit
  16. wound — an injury
  17. capital — money
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. fine — all right
  21. wound — an injury
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. bank — for money
  24. content — happy

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