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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 124 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 can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. capital — a city
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. wake — a trail
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. board — to get on
  10. bulb — for light
  11. board — a committee
  12. net — after costs
  13. net — for catching
  14. capital — money
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bulb — for light
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. net — in sport

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