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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. mug — a cup
  3. capital — a city
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bass — low music
  6. swing — in golf
  7. stock — goods
  8. perch — the fish
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. swing — to play on
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bore — to drill
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. mug — to rob
  19. swing — music
  20. bore — to tire
  21. capital — money
  22. stock — shares
  23. mug — a face
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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