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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bay · ball · arm · press · dip · capital · sharp · row

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. press — a publisher
  4. press — newspapers
  5. sharp — clever
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. row — a line
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. ball — a dance
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. ball — a great time
  15. row — to paddle
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. dip — to sink
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. capital — money
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. press — to push
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. capital — a city

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