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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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 · date · firm · pit · capital · mine · pitcher · fine

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. firm — steady
  5. firm — a company
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pit — in a race
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. capital — money
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. date — the fruit
  18. capital — a city
  19. fine — all right
  20. fine — high quality
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pit — a hole
  23. firm — decided
  24. capital — a big letter

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