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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. board — a committee
  3. cap — a lid
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. cap — of ice
  9. bore — to tire
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. capital — money
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. tube — the underground
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. board — to get on
  20. bore — to drill
  21. cap — a hat
  22. capital — a city
  23. tube — a container
  24. rush — hurry

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