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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: wound · fine · bay · hide · mate · pit · bear · capital

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. fine — high quality
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. mate — a friend
  7. capital — a city
  8. bear — the animal
  9. pit — a hole
  10. mate — a partner
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. capital — money
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. fine — all right
  22. bear — the animal
  23. mate — to breed
  24. bear — to put up with

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