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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. file — a document
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. capital — money
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. land — ground
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. land — a country
  11. file — a line of people
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. lie — to recline
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. scale — in music
  19. land — to come down
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. file — a tool
  22. scale — size or range
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. pound — a weight

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