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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. suit — in cards
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. capital — a city
  6. bulb — for light
  7. mine — for digging
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. cue — a hint
  10. suit — to fit
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. cue — a signal
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. bass — low music
  22. capital — money
  23. suit — clothes
  24. cue — for pool

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