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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. capital — a city
  3. cap — a lid
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. cap — a hat
  6. bank — of a river
  7. rock — music
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. club — a group
  10. rock — a stone
  11. club — for dancing
  12. bank — for money
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. cap — of ice
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. capital — money
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. club — for golf
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bank — for money
  23. chair — a leader
  24. chair — a professorship

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