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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 124 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 beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. capital — money
  5. firm — decided
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bulb — for light
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. firm — a company
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. file — a document
  15. capital — a city
  16. file — a tool
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bulb — for light
  20. firm — steady
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. foot — a measure
  23. file — a line of people
  24. racket — for tennis

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