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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.

Make a worksheet

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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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 · chair · row · fine · fork · march · bass · capital

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. march — the month
  6. bass — low music
  7. capital — money
  8. fine — all right
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bass — the fish
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. fork — in a road
  13. march — music
  14. row — to paddle
  15. row — a line
  16. march — the month
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. capital — a city
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. fine — high quality
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. chair — a leader
  24. fork — a garden tool

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