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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. cue — for pool
  4. capital — money
  5. board — to get on
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. board — a committee
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. chest — a box
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fork — in a road
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. cue — a hint
  18. chest — of your body
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. cue — a signal
  21. capital — a city
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. racket — a loud noise

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