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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. bear — the animal
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. march — music
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. charge — electricity
  7. key — the most important part
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. march — the month
  13. bear — the animal
  14. swing — in golf
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. swing — to play on
  17. charge — in control
  18. key — in music
  19. march — the month
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. swing — music
  22. capital — a city
  23. key — for a lock
  24. charge — a price

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