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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. march — music
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. march — the month
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. capital — a city
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. hand — in cards
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. march — the month
  11. capital — money
  12. board — a committee
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. firm — steady
  16. fine — high quality
  17. present — a gift
  18. hand — help
  19. firm — a company
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. present — the time now
  22. fine — all right
  23. firm — decided
  24. present — there

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