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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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Word bank
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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: rule · kick · cap · pit · board · bass · nail · capital

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. board — a committee
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. cap — a lid
  5. board — to get on
  6. rule — government
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pit — in a race
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. bass — the fish
  12. cap — a hat
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. rule — a law
  16. kick — in football
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. bass — low music
  19. cap — of ice
  20. capital — money
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. nail — for a hammer

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