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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: bass · bay · bound · capital · bore · foot · last · pitcher

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. foot — a measure
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bound — obliged
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. last — finally
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. capital — money
  13. bore — to drill
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bass — low music
  17. last — to go on
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bound — tied together
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. last — final
  23. capital — a city
  24. bound — certain

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