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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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 big letter
  3. face — to confront
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. pit — a hole
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. capital — money
  8. pit — in a race
  9. bank — for money
  10. board — a committee
  11. face — to point toward
  12. board — to get on
  13. capital — a city
  14. charge — a price
  15. face — part of the head
  16. charge — electricity
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bank — for money
  21. charge — in control
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. perch — the fish
  24. bank — of a river

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