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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 120 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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. can — a tin
  3. ball — a dance
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. capital — a city
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. club — for dancing
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. ball — a great time
  10. club — a group
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. can — to be able to
  13. firm — a company
  14. can — a tin
  15. firm — steady
  16. race — the arms race
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. race — a contest
  19. capital — money
  20. race — humankind
  21. firm — decided
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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