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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. board — a committee
  3. capital — a city
  4. game — a match
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. capital — money
  8. present — there
  9. board — to get on
  10. scale — size or range
  11. scale — in music
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. row — a line
  14. present — the time now
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. row — to paddle
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. game — wild animals
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. present — a gift
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. temple — side of the head

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