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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. capital — money
  3. board — a committee
  4. capital — a city
  5. key — for a lock
  6. wound — an injury
  7. key — in music
  8. mug — a cup
  9. rock — a stone
  10. wax — to grow
  11. mark — a trace
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. rock — music
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. wound — an injury
  18. mark — a grade
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. key — the most important part
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mug — a face
  23. mug — to rob
  24. board — to get on

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