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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. mate — a friend
  4. board — to get on
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. roll — a list
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. can — a tin
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. capital — money
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. press — newspapers
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. press — a publisher
  17. press — to push
  18. mate — to breed
  19. can — a tin
  20. roll — a cake
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. can — to be able to
  23. capital — a city
  24. board — a committee

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