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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. drill — a practice
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. capital — a city
  6. degree — temperature
  7. drill — the tool
  8. degree — an amount
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — a tin
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. can — to be able to
  14. drill — army training
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. saw — the tool
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. degree — from a university

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