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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. board — to get on
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. bat — the animal
  5. rest — what's left
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. rest — what's left
  8. board — a committee
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. pitch — completely
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. capital — money
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. rest — a break
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. capital — a city
  24. mouse — for a computer

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