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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. capital — a city
  3. bank — of a river
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. board — to get on
  7. bank — for money
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. deal — to handle
  10. drill — army training
  11. drill — the tool
  12. cap — of ice
  13. drill — a practice
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. bank — for money
  16. cap — a lid
  17. cap — a hat
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. board — a committee
  20. can — to be able to
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — a tin
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. capital — money

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