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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. wake — a trail
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. capital — money
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. stock — shares
  9. rule — a law
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. capital — a city
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. dip — to sink
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. rule — government
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. stock — goods
  22. bass — low music
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. rule — to rule out

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