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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. pop — soda
  3. capital — money
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. board — a committee
  6. suit — to fit
  7. pop — to visit
  8. track — to keep track
  9. track — a path
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. toast — bread
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. pop — music
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. suit — in cards
  20. board — to get on
  21. suit — clothes
  22. pitch — completely
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. track — a song

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