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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 120 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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. 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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. capital — money
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. file — a tool
  6. board — a committee
  7. season — of the year
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. file — a document
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. rock — music
  14. rock — a stone
  15. season — in sport
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. capital — a city
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. file — a line of people
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. 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