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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 116 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: bay · rash · race · capital · present · bear · net · mug

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. net — after costs
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. race — humankind
  6. present — there
  7. bear — the animal
  8. present — the time now
  9. net — for catching
  10. rash — a series
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. present — a gift
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. mug — a cup
  15. capital — a city
  16. mug — a face
  17. bear — the animal
  18. mug — to rob
  19. rash — hasty
  20. capital — money
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. race — a contest
  23. net — in sport
  24. race — the arms race

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