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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 124 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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. board — to get on
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. branch — a division
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. board — a committee
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. rush — hurry
  14. capital — a city
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. chest — a box
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. foot — a measure
  21. chest — of your body
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. chest — of your body
  24. branch — of a tree

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