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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. board — a committee
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. court — of a king
  5. court — of law
  6. capital — a city
  7. board — to get on
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. court — for sport
  10. plane — a tool
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. lean — thin
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. sharp — clever
  16. capital — money
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. lean — to bend
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. bark — to shout
  24. capital — a big letter

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