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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. board — to get on
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. capital — a city
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. land — ground
  9. capital — money
  10. land — to come down
  11. plane — a tool
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. swing — to play on
  15. land — a country
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. board — a committee
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. swing — in golf
  20. row — to paddle
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. swing — music
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. safe — out of danger

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