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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: fine · row · capital · chair · last · saw · kick · board

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. last — to go on
  6. kick — in football
  7. fine — all right
  8. saw — the tool
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. row — a line
  13. fine — high quality
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. row — to paddle
  16. capital — a city
  17. board — to get on
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. chair — a leader
  21. last — finally
  22. last — final
  23. board — a committee
  24. saw — the tool

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