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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. board — to get on
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. stand — to bear
  6. date — the fruit
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. suit — in cards
  10. fine — high quality
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. swing — in golf
  13. suit — to fit
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. board — a committee
  18. fine — all right
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. capital — money
  21. capital — a city
  22. swing — to play on
  23. swing — music
  24. suit — clothes

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