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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. board — to get on
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cell — in biology
  6. track — a song
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. cell — a phone
  9. rest — a break
  10. rest — what's left
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. track — to keep track
  13. squash — to crush
  14. cap — a lid
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. board — a committee
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. cap — a hat
  19. squash — the sport
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. capital — a city
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. track — a path
  24. rest — what's left

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