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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. capital — a city
  3. last — finally
  4. object — an aim
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. last — final
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. staff — employees
  10. field — for sport
  11. capital — money
  12. last — to go on
  13. wake — a trail
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. field — a subject
  16. object — a thing
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. field — farmland
  19. object — to protest
  20. staff — employees
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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