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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 124 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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. tear — to rip
  9. chest — of your body
  10. pass — a permit
  11. pop — soda
  12. cue — a signal
  13. chest — of your body
  14. tear — from crying
  15. cue — a hint
  16. pop — to visit
  17. capital — a city
  18. chest — a box
  19. capital — money
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. tear — from crying
  22. cue — for pool
  23. pop — music
  24. fine — all right

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