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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. capital — money
  3. deal — to handle
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — a break
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. present — there
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. present — the time now
  12. capital — a city
  13. cue — a hint
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. cue — a signal
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. rest — what's left
  22. cue — for pool
  23. season — of the year
  24. present — a gift

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