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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. rule — government
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. swing — in golf
  5. content — the amount
  6. cap — of ice
  7. capital — a city
  8. root — of a plant
  9. ground — the earth
  10. rule — a law
  11. cap — a lid
  12. capital — money
  13. swing — music
  14. content — happy
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. root — of a word
  17. root — the cause
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. ground — a position
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. swing — to play on
  22. cap — a hat
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. ground — crushed

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