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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. cap — a lid
  3. board — to get on
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. capital — a city
  7. net — for catching
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. plane — a tool
  10. bound — certain
  11. bound — tied together
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. deal — to handle
  14. net — after costs
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. game — a match
  17. bound — obliged
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. cap — a hat
  21. net — in sport
  22. board — a committee
  23. capital — money
  24. game — wild animals

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