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

Word bank: bay · foot · key · racket · board · capital · present · pass

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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. foot — part of the body
  3. present — the time now
  4. key — the most important part
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. board — a committee
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. capital — a city
  9. key — in music
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. present — a gift
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. key — for a lock
  16. present — there
  17. capital — money
  18. pass — a permit
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. board — to get on
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. foot — a measure

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