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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 116 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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. bound — tied together
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. board — to get on
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. game — wild animals
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. game — a match
  10. prune — to trim
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bound — obliged
  13. capital — a city
  14. stand — to bear
  15. board — a committee
  16. cell — a phone
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. cell — in biology
  19. prune — to trim
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. bound — certain
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. capital — a big letter

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