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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. drill — the tool
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. fine — all right
  6. net — for catching
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. drill — a practice
  10. cap — of ice
  11. net — after costs
  12. fine — high quality
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. capital — money
  15. board — to get on
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. capital — a city
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. bulb — for light
  20. cap — a hat
  21. net — in sport
  22. drill — army training
  23. cap — a lid
  24. bulb — for light

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