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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. capital — a city
  4. net — in sport
  5. net — for catching
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. lie — to recline
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. date — the fruit
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. net — after costs
  13. capital — money
  14. bear — the animal
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. charge — in control
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. charge — electricity
  21. charge — a price
  22. bear — the animal
  23. board — a committee
  24. board — to get on

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