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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. last — final
  3. cue — a hint
  4. can — a tin
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. cue — for pool
  7. capital — a city
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. craft — a skill
  10. last — to go on
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. degree — from a university
  14. capital — money
  15. cue — a signal
  16. degree — an amount
  17. can — to be able to
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. degree — temperature
  21. can — a tin
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. craft — boats

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