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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 120 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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. capital — money
  3. board — a committee
  4. face — part of the head
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. march — the month
  7. board — to get on
  8. march — the month
  9. degree — from a university
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. dip — to sink
  15. degree — an amount
  16. face — to point toward
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. degree — temperature
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. capital — a city
  22. march — music
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. face — to confront

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