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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. date — the fruit
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. tube — a container
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. tube — the underground
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. spell — magic
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. spell — a short time
  16. capital — a city
  17. bass — low music
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bass — the fish
  22. capital — money
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. bowl — a football final

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