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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. pound — a weight
  5. board — a committee
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. ground — the earth
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. ground — a position
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. capital — money
  13. chair — a leader
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. ground — crushed
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. capital — a city
  18. board — to get on

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