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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. capital — a city
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. pass — a permit
  11. lean — to bend
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. content — the amount
  14. content — happy
  15. lean — thin
  16. board — to get on
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. board — a committee
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. chair — a leader
  21. capital — money
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. chair — to sit 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