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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. spell — magic
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. cue — for pool
  6. spell — a short time
  7. board — a committee
  8. cue — a hint
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. spring — a coil
  13. capital — a city
  14. spring — of water
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. spell — letters
  18. cue — a signal
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. board — to get on
  22. spring — the season
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bore — to drill

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