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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. court — of law
  3. rash — hasty
  4. board — to get on
  5. court — of a king
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. staff — employees
  8. cue — a hint
  9. pitch — completely
  10. present — the time now
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. court — for sport
  13. rash — a series
  14. capital — a city
  15. present — a gift
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. staff — a stick
  18. board — a committee
  19. cue — a signal
  20. cue — for pool
  21. staff — employees
  22. capital — money
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. capital — a big letter

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