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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 120 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: dip · bay · charge · bat · last · bowl · capital · craft

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bat — the animal
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. charge — a price
  8. last — finally
  9. dip — to sink
  10. craft — a skill
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. capital — money
  13. charge — in control
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. charge — electricity
  16. last — final
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. capital — a city
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. craft — boats
  24. bowl — a football final

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