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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. capital — money
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. capital — a city
  8. rash — hasty
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. degree — from a university
  11. degree — temperature
  12. mine — for digging
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. degree — an amount
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. chair — a leader
  22. branch — a division
  23. rash — a series
  24. mine — an explosive

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