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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. capital — a city
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. roll — a cake
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. roll — a list
  9. rock — music
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. shower — rain
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. capital — money
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. shower — to wash
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. cold — not warm
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. rock — a stone
  23. cold — an illness
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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