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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. content — the amount
  3. craft — a skill
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. bear — the animal
  7. capital — money
  8. bear — the animal
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. charge — in control
  11. board — a committee
  12. charge — a price
  13. stem — to come from
  14. charge — electricity
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. content — happy
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. capital — a city
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. craft — boats

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