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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 116 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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. game — wild animals
  3. object — an aim
  4. capital — a city
  5. rule — a law
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. object — a thing
  9. rule — government
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. capital — money
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. rock — music
  15. object — to protest
  16. game — a match
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. season — of the year
  21. board — a committee
  22. season — in sport
  23. stand — to bear
  24. rock — a stone

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