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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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. game — a kind of play
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. stock — goods
  6. stock — shares
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. capital — a city
  9. game — wild animals
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. spring — the season
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. game — a match
  14. bank — of a river
  15. spring — a coil
  16. bank — for money
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. spring — of water
  19. board — a committee
  20. board — to get on
  21. bank — for money
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. calf — a young animal

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