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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. band — a ring
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. capital — a city
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. club — for golf
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. band — a music group
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. club — for dancing
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. capital — money
  21. club — a group
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. fork — in a road
  24. ruler — a monarch

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