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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 120 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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. last — finally
  6. bank — for money
  7. march — the month
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. capital — money
  11. last — to go on
  12. march — the month
  13. bank — for money
  14. pitch — completely
  15. capital — a city
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. object — to protest
  18. object — a thing
  19. march — music
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. last — final
  24. leaves — lets stay

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