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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. game — wild animals
  3. board — to get on
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. scale — size or range
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. scale — in music
  11. pass — a permit
  12. capital — a city
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. key — the most important part
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. capital — money
  18. key — for a lock
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. board — a committee
  22. dip — to sink
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. key — in music

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