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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. net — in sport
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. capital — a city
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bass — low music
  9. bank — of a river
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. net — for catching
  13. capital — money
  14. stock — goods
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. bank — for money
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. stock — shares
  19. bank — for money
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. toast — bread
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. bass — the fish
  24. net — after costs

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