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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. game — wild animals
  3. capital — a city
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. ground — the earth
  8. board — a committee
  9. sharp — clever
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. capital — money
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. game — a match
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. ground — crushed
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. ground — a position
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. board — to get on

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