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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. capital — a city
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bank — for money
  7. last — finally
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. capital — money
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bank — for money
  13. hand — help
  14. last — to go on
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. last — final
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. bear — the animal
  24. hand — in cards

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