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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 need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. rash — a series
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. present — a gift
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. chest — a box
  8. board — to get on
  9. drill — army training
  10. present — there
  11. chest — of your body
  12. capital — money
  13. capital — a city
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. roll — a list
  16. chest — of your body
  17. pitch — completely
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. rash — hasty
  20. present — the time now
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. drill — a practice
  23. roll — a cake
  24. board — a committee

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