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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. rock — a stone
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. fine — high quality
  7. net — after costs
  8. tear — from crying
  9. net — for catching
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. tear — to rip
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. band — a ring
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. fine — all right
  18. capital — a city
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. rock — music
  21. band — a music group
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. capital — money
  24. net — in sport

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