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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. board — to get on
  3. capital — money
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. scale — size or range
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. squash — the sport
  8. stand — to bear
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. board — a committee
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. squash — to crush
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. scale — in music
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. mine — for digging
  24. leaves — of a tree

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