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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: can · toast · court · board · mug · fine · hand · capital

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. fine — high quality
  3. mug — a cup
  4. mug — to rob
  5. hand — help
  6. court — for sport
  7. board — a committee
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. capital — a city
  10. hand — in cards
  11. toast — bread
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. can — to be able to
  15. can — a tin
  16. court — of law
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. can — a tin
  19. board — to get on
  20. court — of a king
  21. mug — a face
  22. fine — all right
  23. capital — money
  24. toast — the most admired

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