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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. capital — a city
  5. cap — a hat
  6. suit — in cards
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. cap — of ice
  10. scale — in music
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. suit — to fit
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. scale — size or range
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. swing — to play on
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. cap — a lid
  20. swing — in golf
  21. capital — money
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. swing — music
  24. suit — clothes

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