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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. pitch — completely
  6. bank — for money
  7. mug — to rob
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. capital — a city
  10. cold — an illness
  11. bank — for money
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. squash — to crush
  14. squash — the sport
  15. capital — money
  16. cold — not warm
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. wake — a trail
  21. mug — a face
  22. bank — of a river
  23. mug — a cup
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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