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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 smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. cue — a hint
  4. capital — a city
  5. capital — money
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — the tool
  9. cue — a signal
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. stand — to bear
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. cue — for pool
  19. bore — to drill
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. bore — to tire
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. pitcher — a jug

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