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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. board — to get on
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. board — a committee
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. drill — the tool
  8. season — in sport
  9. capital — money
  10. drill — army training
  11. kick — in football
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. drill — a practice
  14. prune — to trim
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. rock — music
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. object — a thing
  19. season — of the year
  20. object — to protest
  21. capital — a city
  22. prune — to trim
  23. rock — a stone
  24. object — an aim

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