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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. capital — a city
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. mark — a trace
  6. net — for catching
  7. board — to get on
  8. mug — to rob
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. net — after costs
  11. mug — a face
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. scale — size or range
  14. rule — government
  15. mark — a grade
  16. ground — crushed
  17. ground — the earth
  18. rule — a law
  19. ground — a position
  20. net — in sport
  21. board — a committee
  22. mug — a cup
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. scale — in music

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