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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. saw — the tool
  3. march — music
  4. spell — a short time
  5. spell — magic
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. craft — a skill
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. craft — boats
  12. chair — a leader
  13. march — the month
  14. spell — letters
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. march — the month
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. capital — a city
  19. saw — the tool
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. craft — a handicraft

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