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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 120 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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. mark — a grade
  4. firm — a company
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. firm — steady
  7. capital — a city
  8. club — for golf
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rush — hurry
  11. firm — decided
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. club — for dancing
  17. net — for catching
  18. mark — a trace
  19. club — a group
  20. net — after costs
  21. foot — a measure
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. net — in sport
  24. capital — money

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