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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. tube — a container
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. row — to paddle
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. mate — to breed
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. craft — a skill
  13. mine — for digging
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. tube — the underground
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. craft — boats
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. capital — a city
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. mate — a friend
  22. mate — a partner
  23. row — a line
  24. mine — belonging to me

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