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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cue — a hint
  4. board — to get on
  5. bank — for money
  6. cue — for pool
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bank — for money
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. charge — in control
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bank — of a river
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. capital — money
  16. charge — electricity
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. board — a committee
  19. degree — temperature
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. degree — an amount
  22. degree — from a university
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. charge — a price

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