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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: game · mark · scale · craft · rush · pitcher · capital · board

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. game — wild animals
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. board — a committee
  5. scale — size or range
  6. game — a match
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. mark — a trace
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. board — to get on
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rush — hurry
  16. scale — in music
  17. capital — a city
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. capital — money
  20. craft — boats
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. craft — a skill
  24. pitcher — a jug

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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