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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. rock — music
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. content — happy
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. content — the amount
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pit — a hole
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. rock — a stone
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. capital — a city
  23. pit — in a race
  24. foot — a measure

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