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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. net — for catching
  3. capital — a city
  4. rock — a stone
  5. tear — from crying
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. content — happy
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. capital — money
  12. content — the amount
  13. board — a committee
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. tear — from crying
  17. bass — low music
  18. tear — to rip
  19. net — after costs
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. board — to get on
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. net — in sport
  24. rock — music

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