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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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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: pit · capital · bound · bay · lie · content · coach · foot

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. lie — to recline
  4. capital — money
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. foot — a measure
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. content — the amount
  12. bound — obliged
  13. pit — in a race
  14. capital — a city
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. pit — a hole
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bound — certain
  21. content — happy
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. lie — an untruth

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