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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. board — a committee
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — moving air
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. rule — government
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. pound — a weight
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. capital — a city
  12. bank — of a river
  13. capital — money
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. rule — a law
  17. perch — the fish
  18. board — to get on
  19. bank — for money
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bank — for money

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