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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. drill — the tool
  3. bank — of a river
  4. capital — a city
  5. board — to get on
  6. sharp — clever
  7. present — a gift
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. kick — in football
  10. drill — army training
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. board — a committee
  13. present — the time now
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bank — for money
  16. drill — a practice
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. bank — for money
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. present — there
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. capital — money

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