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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: firm · cell · bay · mine · mug · jam · net · capital

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. cell — in biology
  4. mug — to rob
  5. cell — a phone
  6. capital — a city
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. net — in sport
  10. mug — a face
  11. mug — a cup
  12. firm — a company
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. firm — steady
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. net — after costs
  18. capital — money
  19. firm — decided
  20. mine — for digging
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. net — for catching
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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