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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. mark — a trace
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. game — a match
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. board — to get on
  10. bore — to tire
  11. capital — a city
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. board — a committee
  14. capital — money
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mate — to breed
  18. game — wild animals
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. mark — a grade
  21. bore — to drill
  22. mine — for digging
  23. mate — a partner
  24. mate — a friend

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