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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. degree — temperature
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. drill — army training
  5. board — to get on
  6. board — a committee
  7. suit — to fit
  8. suit — clothes
  9. face — to point toward
  10. degree — from a university
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. capital — a city
  14. face — to confront
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. drill — the tool
  17. capital — money
  18. drill — a practice
  19. degree — an amount
  20. suit — in cards
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. face — part of the head

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