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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 beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. board — a committee
  3. board — to get on
  4. club — for dancing
  5. mark — a grade
  6. club — a group
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. bear — the animal
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. club — for golf
  15. capital — a city
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bear — the animal
  18. mark — a trace
  19. capital — money
  20. tube — the underground
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. tube — a container
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. lie — to recline

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