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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: board · bass · charge · bear · capital · ruler · season · wound

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. charge — a price
  4. season — of the year
  5. charge — electricity
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. capital — a city
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bass — low music
  11. charge — in control
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. board — to get on
  14. season — in sport
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — an injury
  17. capital — money
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bass — the fish
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. board — a committee
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bass — the instrument

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