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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 120 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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. capital — money
  3. firm — decided
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. net — in sport
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. wind — moving air
  8. firm — steady
  9. file — a line of people
  10. net — for catching
  11. deal — to handle
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. file — a tool
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. net — after costs
  18. file — a document
  19. capital — a city
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. firm — a company
  24. leaves — lets stay

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