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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. fine — high quality
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. board — a committee
  5. fine — all right
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cap — a lid
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. cap — a hat
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. present — there
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. capital — money
  16. capital — a city
  17. present — the time now
  18. stock — goods
  19. vault — a safe
  20. stock — shares
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. plane — a tool
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. present — a gift

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