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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. capital — a city
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. bound — certain
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. dip — to sink
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. stem — to come from
  11. pop — soda
  12. bound — tied together
  13. season — in sport
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. pop — to visit
  17. pop — music
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. season — of the year
  22. chair — a leader
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. capital — money

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