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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. board — a committee
  3. board — to get on
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. swing — in golf
  6. kick — in football
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. swing — to play on
  9. cap — a hat
  10. swing — music
  11. lean — to bend
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. lean — thin
  16. cap — of ice
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. deal — to handle

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