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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. capital — a city
  3. can — a tin
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. mark — a grade
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. capital — money
  9. mark — a trace
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. board — to get on
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. tube — a container
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. can — a tin
  16. tube — the underground
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. can — to be able to

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