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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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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: leaves · bay · deal · fork · lash · date · capital · pop

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. pop — soda
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. pop — music
  5. pop — to visit
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. capital — money
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. deal — to handle
  20. capital — a city
  21. date — the fruit
  22. fork — in a road
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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