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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. board — to get on
  6. rule — government
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. toast — bread
  9. mark — a grade
  10. capital — money
  11. suit — in cards
  12. track — to keep track
  13. rule — a law
  14. suit — clothes
  15. cold — an illness
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. cold — not warm
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. board — a committee
  20. mark — a trace
  21. suit — to fit
  22. track — a song
  23. track — a path
  24. mark — to pay attention

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