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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. fine — all right
  3. march — music
  4. march — the month
  5. capital — money
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. capital — a city
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. fine — high quality
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. wake — a trail
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. march — the month
  22. sharp — clever
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. jam — to spread on bread

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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