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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 120 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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. capital — money
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. kick — in football
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. board — to get on
  10. cap — of ice
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. content — happy
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. cap — a lid
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. content — the amount
  19. capital — a city
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. pass — a permit
  22. board — a committee
  23. cap — a hat
  24. bowl — to roll

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