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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. wound — an injury
  3. stand — to bear
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. capital — a city
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. lie — to recline
  10. capital — money
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. board — a committee
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. scale — size or range
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. board — to get on
  24. dip — to sink

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