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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. board — to get on
  3. date — the fruit
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. present — the time now
  6. chair — a leader
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. capital — a city
  10. ground — the earth
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. roll — a cake
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. ground — crushed
  16. capital — money
  17. track — a song
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. track — to keep track
  20. present — a gift
  21. roll — a list
  22. present — there
  23. board — a committee
  24. track — a path

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