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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. object — a thing
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. object — an aim
  5. swing — in golf
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. swing — to play on
  8. board — a committee
  9. degree — an amount
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. capital — money
  12. fork — in a road
  13. degree — from a university
  14. swing — music
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. object — to protest
  19. degree — temperature
  20. board — to get on
  21. bark — to shout
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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