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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. board — to get on
  3. pass — a permit
  4. land — a country
  5. shower — to wash
  6. season — of the year
  7. bank — of a river
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. pit — in a race
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. board — a committee
  13. pit — a hole
  14. land — ground
  15. land — to come down
  16. capital — money
  17. bank — for money
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. bank — for money
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. season — in sport
  22. capital — a city
  23. shower — rain
  24. season — to add flavour

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