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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. capital — money
  5. pop — music
  6. pop — soda
  7. bass — low music
  8. fall — to drop
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. fall — the season
  12. key — in music
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. key — the most important part
  15. bass — the fish
  16. fall — to drop
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. key — for a lock
  19. pop — to visit
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. board — a committee
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. capital — a city

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