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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. capital — a city
  3. fall — to drop
  4. rule — a law
  5. fall — the season
  6. fine — all right
  7. bass — the fish
  8. pit — in a race
  9. mug — a face
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. pit — a hole
  12. fall — to drop
  13. board — to get on
  14. capital — money
  15. mug — to rob
  16. rule — government
  17. bass — low music
  18. fine — high quality
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. board — a committee
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. fine — a penalty

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