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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. capital — money
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. deal — to handle
  5. fine — all right
  6. club — a group
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. capital — a city
  11. march — music
  12. club — for golf
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. march — the month
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. march — the month
  18. fine — high quality
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. club — for dancing

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