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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. ground — a position
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. capital — a city
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. ground — the earth
  9. ground — crushed
  10. cue — for pool
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. cue — a signal
  15. capital — money
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. scale — size or range
  19. board — to get on
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. cue — a hint
  23. chair — a leader
  24. scale — in music

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