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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. capital — a city
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. ball — a dance
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. track — to keep track
  9. key — in music
  10. key — the most important part
  11. foot — a measure
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. board — a committee
  14. track — a path
  15. capital — money
  16. ball — a great time
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. plane — a tool
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. board — to get on
  22. track — a song
  23. key — for a lock
  24. arm — part of the body

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