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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. chair — a leader
  4. net — for catching
  5. tube — the underground
  6. net — in sport
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. capital — money
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. bore — to drill
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. tube — a container
  13. net — after costs
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. object — to protest
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. object — an aim
  19. toast — bread
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bore — to tire
  22. object — a thing
  23. capital — a city
  24. bore — gave birth

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