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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. capital — money
  3. bound — certain
  4. track — a song
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. track — a path
  7. race — humankind
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bore — to drill
  10. pass — a permit
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bore — to tire
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pop — to visit
  15. bound — obliged
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. pop — music
  18. race — the arms race
  19. pop — soda
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. track — to keep track
  22. race — a contest
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. bay — a horse colour

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