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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. last — finally
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. capital — a city
  5. capital — money
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. rock — music
  9. board — a committee
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. last — final
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. rock — a stone
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. stand — to bear
  23. last — to go on
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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