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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 120 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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. suit — clothes
  3. capital — a city
  4. cap — of ice
  5. land — a country
  6. suit — to fit
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. capital — money
  9. object — to protest
  10. board — to get on
  11. spring — of water
  12. suit — in cards
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. land — ground
  15. land — to come down
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. cap — a hat
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. object — a thing
  20. cap — a lid
  21. board — a committee
  22. spring — the season
  23. object — an aim
  24. spring — a coil

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