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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 116 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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — to be able to
  3. march — the month
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. object — an aim
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. object — to protest
  11. capital — money
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. can — a tin
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. march — the month
  17. bat — the animal
  18. march — music
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. capital — a city
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. object — a thing

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