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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. cell — a phone
  5. capital — money
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — to be able to
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitch — completely
  15. can — a tin
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. cell — in biology
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. capital — a city
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. wave — of the sea

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