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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. court — of a king
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. capital — money
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. court — for sport
  9. wind — moving air
  10. plane — a tool
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. bulb — for light
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. stand — to bear
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. board — to get on
  19. bulb — for light
  20. capital — a city
  21. board — a committee
  22. court — of law
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. wind — moving air

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