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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. cell — in biology
  3. board — a committee
  4. race — the arms race
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. capital — a city
  11. race — humankind
  12. race — a contest
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. root — of a plant
  15. capital — money
  16. cell — a phone
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. root — the cause
  22. root — of a word
  23. board — to get on
  24. mouse — the animal

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