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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. capital — a city
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. bore — to tire
  7. lean — thin
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. bore — to drill
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. object — a thing
  14. lean — to bend
  15. object — to protest
  16. capital — money
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. object — an aim
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. pitch — completely
  24. bay — a horse colour

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