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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 120 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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. mug — a face
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. can — a tin
  6. board — to get on
  7. saw — the tool
  8. can — a tin
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. mug — a cup
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. mug — to rob
  14. capital — a city
  15. mark — a grade
  16. band — a ring
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. board — a committee
  20. band — a music group
  21. can — to be able to
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. saw — the tool
  24. capital — money

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