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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. capital — a city
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. tear — from crying
  6. squash — the sport
  7. squash — to crush
  8. tear — to rip
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. tear — from crying
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. pound — a weight
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. kick — in football
  17. board — a committee
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. board — to get on
  24. capital — money

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