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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. capital — a city
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. stand — to bear
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. bass — the fish
  8. key — the most important part
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. net — for catching
  13. capital — money
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. saw — the tool
  16. key — for a lock
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. net — after costs
  20. bass — low music
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. key — in music

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