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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. capital — money
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. squash — the sport
  9. squash — to crush
  10. capital — a city
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. track — to keep track
  13. suit — to fit
  14. track — a path
  15. suit — in cards
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. wax — to grow
  18. suit — clothes
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. fork — in a road
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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