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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 mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. season — in sport
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. fork — in a road
  6. mark — a trace
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. capital — money
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. rush — hurry
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. capital — a city
  21. mark — a grade
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. season — of the year

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