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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: board · fine · capital · pound · stick · kick

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. capital — money
  3. pound — a weight
  4. fine — all right
  5. board — a committee
  6. kick — in football
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. fine — high quality
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. board — to get on
  16. capital — a city
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. fine — a penalty

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