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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 120 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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. board — to get on
  3. swing — in golf
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. capital — money
  6. cap — a hat
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. cap — a lid
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. cap — of ice
  11. board — a committee
  12. capital — a city
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. swing — music
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. swing — to play on
  21. season — of the year
  22. season — in sport
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. season — to add flavour

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