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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: season · rule · board · stand · capital · sharp · object · roll

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. board — a committee
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. roll — a cake
  8. object — a thing
  9. board — to get on
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. capital — money
  12. capital — a city
  13. object — to protest
  14. season — of the year
  15. object — an aim
  16. roll — a list
  17. season — in sport
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. rule — a law
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. sharp — clever
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. stand — to bear
  24. board — a flat piece

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