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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. board — to get on
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. present — the time now
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. capital — a city
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. capital — money
  13. ball — a dance
  14. tear — to rip
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. present — a gift
  17. ball — a great time
  18. tear — from crying
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. tear — from crying
  21. board — a committee
  22. fine — all right
  23. present — there
  24. sharp — clever

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