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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 mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. capital — a city
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. fork — in a road
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. row — to paddle
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. root — of a plant
  11. bank — for money
  12. root — the cause
  13. mark — a trace
  14. capital — money
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bank — for money
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. dip — to sink
  20. mark — a grade
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. row — a line
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. root — of a word

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