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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. branch — a division
  4. can — a tin
  5. mate — to breed
  6. capital — a city
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. capital — money
  10. mate — a friend
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. firm — decided
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. can — a tin
  15. rock — a stone
  16. firm — steady
  17. mate — a partner
  18. rock — music
  19. court — of law
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. can — to be able to
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. court — for sport
  24. court — of a king

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