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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. capital — a city
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rock — a stone
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. charge — in control
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. mate — a partner
  12. sharp — clever
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. mate — a friend
  15. perch — the fish
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. charge — electricity
  19. charge — a price
  20. rock — music
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. mate — to breed
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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