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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. cue — a hint
  4. capital — a city
  5. stand — to bear
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. mark — a grade
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. band — a music group
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. mark — a trace
  18. capital — money
  19. pass — a permit
  20. cue — for pool
  21. board — a committee
  22. band — a ring
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. cue — a signal

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