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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  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. capital — money
  2. fine — high quality
  3. rock — music
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ball — a great time
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. rock — a stone
  9. object — to protest
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. march — music
  12. march — the month
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. object — a thing
  16. board — a committee
  17. ball — a dance
  18. bat — the animal
  19. fine — all right
  20. object — an aim
  21. march — the month
  22. capital — a city
  23. bat — in an idiom
  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