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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. squash — the sport
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. board — a committee
  6. capital — a city
  7. swing — music
  8. board — to get on
  9. squash — to crush
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. capital — money
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. swing — to play on
  15. mark — a trace
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. swing — in golf
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. plane — a tool
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. mark — a grade

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