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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. suit — in cards
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. capital — a city
  5. rest — what's left
  6. suit — clothes
  7. rest — a break
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. lean — thin
  10. club — a group
  11. suit — to fit
  12. lean — to bend
  13. stock — shares
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. rest — what's left
  17. dip — to sink
  18. club — for dancing
  19. capital — money
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. stock — goods

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