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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. scale — in music
  3. chest — a box
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. hand — help
  6. capital — a city
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. chest — of your body
  9. bound — certain
  10. board — to get on
  11. chest — of your body
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. bound — tied together
  14. capital — money
  15. bound — obliged
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. foot — a measure
  19. hand — in cards
  20. board — a committee
  21. scale — size or range
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. pass — a permit

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