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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. pop — music
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. board — to get on
  5. fork — in a road
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rush — hurry
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pit — a hole
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. pop — soda
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. wound — an injury
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wax — to grow
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. capital — a city
  21. pit — in a race
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. board — a committee

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