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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. face — part of the head
  4. face — to confront
  5. date — the fruit
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. rash — a series
  8. board — a committee
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. capital — money
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. capital — a city
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. chair — a leader
  21. board — to get on
  22. face — to point toward
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. rash — hasty

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