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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. bass — the fish
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. bound — certain
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. cap — of ice
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. bound — obliged
  13. capital — money
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. dip — to sink
  19. bass — low music
  20. content — happy
  21. cap — a lid
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. cap — a hat
  24. content — the amount

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