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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. bass — low music
  3. capital — a city
  4. pop — music
  5. pop — soda
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. roll — a cake
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. track — a song
  11. track — to keep track
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. pop — to visit
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. track — a path
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. capital — money
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. rock — a stone
  22. bass — the fish
  23. roll — a list
  24. rock — music

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