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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. fork — in a road
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. bass — low music
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. tube — a container
  10. field — for sport
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. field — a subject
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. bass — the fish
  15. tube — the underground
  16. capital — a city
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. dip — to sink
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. field — farmland
  24. capital — a big letter

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