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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. capital — money
  4. shower — rain
  5. board — a committee
  6. tube — the underground
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. capital — a city
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. board — to get on
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. pitch — completely
  18. shower — to wash
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. tube — a container
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. leaves — lets stay

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