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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. present — a gift
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. degree — an amount
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. present — the time now
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. capital — money
  12. degree — temperature
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. season — of the year
  15. degree — from a university
  16. season — in sport
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. present — there
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. chip — for betting
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. chip — to eat
  24. arm — part of the body

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