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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. charge — a price
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. dip — to sink
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. charge — in control
  11. charge — electricity
  12. perch — the fish
  13. pound — a weight
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. wake — a trail
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. hand — help
  23. capital — money
  24. capital — a city

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