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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. wake — a trail
  4. season — of the year
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pit — a hole
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. present — there
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. present — a gift
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. present — the time now
  15. pit — in a race
  16. board — to get on
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. hand — in cards
  20. chair — a leader
  21. capital — a city
  22. season — in sport
  23. board — a committee
  24. hand — help

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