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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. sharp — clever
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. board — to get on
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. board — a committee
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. bulb — for light
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. fork — in a road
  22. vault — a safe
  23. bulb — for light
  24. capital — money

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