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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
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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: capital · bay · saw · march · can · wound · net · rock

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  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. rock — a stone
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. march — music
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. saw — the tool
  7. net — for catching
  8. can — a tin
  9. wound — an injury
  10. capital — money
  11. capital — a city
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. can — to be able to
  14. rock — music
  15. march — the month
  16. march — the month
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. saw — the tool
  19. net — in sport
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. can — a tin
  22. net — after costs
  23. wound — an injury
  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