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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 beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  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. capital — a big letter
  2. firm — a company
  3. stem — to come from
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. scale — in music
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. board — to get on
  9. scale — size or range
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. firm — steady
  15. present — there
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. stand — to bear
  18. firm — decided
  19. present — a gift
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. capital — money
  22. capital — a city
  23. present — the time now
  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