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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: rest · board · mouse · object · mark · sharp · season · capital

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. object — an aim
  3. board — a committee
  4. season — of the year
  5. capital — a city
  6. mark — a grade
  7. sharp — clever
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mark — a trace
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. object — to protest
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. rest — a break
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. board — to get on
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — what's left
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. season — in sport
  22. capital — money
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. season — to add flavour

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