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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'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. capital — money
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. fine — all right
  8. capital — a city
  9. bark — to shout
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. fine — high quality
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. board — to get on
  16. pit — a hole
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. toast — bread
  20. pass — a permit
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. chip — to eat
  24. chip — for betting

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