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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 120 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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. rest — a break
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. board — a committee
  6. court — for sport
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. rest — what's left
  9. stand — to bear
  10. swing — to play on
  11. swing — music
  12. court — of law
  13. board — to get on
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. swing — in golf
  17. court — of a king
  18. rest — what's left
  19. mark — a trace
  20. row — to paddle
  21. row — a line
  22. mark — a grade
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. capital — a city

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