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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 · pit · bay · ball · track · coach · bass · wind

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. pit — a hole
  3. track — a path
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. ball — a dance
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. ball — a great time
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. capital — a city
  11. track — a song
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. bass — the fish
  14. capital — money
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bass — low music
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. pit — in a race
  22. wind — moving air
  23. track — to keep track
  24. wind — moving air

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