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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. fine — all right
  5. kick — in football
  6. key — for a lock
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. fine — high quality
  10. foot — a measure
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. capital — money
  13. pound — a weight
  14. key — the most important part
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. key — in music
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. board — a committee
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. stem — to come from
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. board — to get on

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