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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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. pass — to spend time
  3. club — for dancing
  4. file — a tool
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. capital — money
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. track — to keep track
  10. cell — in biology
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. club — a group
  15. track — a song
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. tube — a container
  18. tube — the underground
  19. track — a path
  20. file — a line of people
  21. cell — a phone
  22. file — a document
  23. capital — a city
  24. club — for golf

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