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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 116 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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. kid — to tease
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. scale — in music
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. kid — child
  8. pit — in a race
  9. pit — a hole
  10. club — for golf
  11. charge — a price
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. capital — money
  14. bass — the fish
  15. club — for dancing
  16. charge — in control
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. club — a group
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bass — low music
  21. capital — a city
  22. charge — electricity
  23. scale — size or range
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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