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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 had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. last — to go on
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. kid — to tease
  7. board — to get on
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. stand — to bear
  10. capital — money
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. last — final
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. sharp — clever
  17. board — a committee
  18. last — finally
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. capital — a city
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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