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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. fine — all right
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. board — a committee
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. rule — a law
  8. plane — a tool
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. capital — a city
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. rule — government
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — to be able to
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. fine — high quality
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. board — to get on
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. season — in sport
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. perch — the fish
  24. season — of the year

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