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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. band — a music group
  10. board — to get on
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. pit — a hole
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. band — a ring
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. pit — in a race
  23. capital — money
  24. board — a committee

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