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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. capital — a city
  3. perch — the fish
  4. object — an aim
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. scale — in music
  7. scale — size or range
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. board — a committee
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. lean — to bend
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. mug — a face
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cue — for pool
  18. board — to get on
  19. mug — to rob
  20. lean — thin
  21. object — a thing
  22. capital — money
  23. cue — a hint
  24. mug — a cup

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