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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. fine — high quality
  3. pit — in a race
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. capital — money
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. board — to get on
  12. scale — in music
  13. capital — a city
  14. board — a committee
  15. scale — size or range
  16. fine — all right
  17. pit — a hole
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. stem — to come from
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. squash — to crush
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. squash — the sport

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