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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 116 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: face · last · capital · ruler · ground · bulb · ball · board

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. face — to point toward
  3. ball — a great time
  4. bulb — for light
  5. board — a committee
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bulb — for light
  8. ground — the earth
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ground — a position
  11. capital — money
  12. face — part of the head
  13. ground — crushed
  14. capital — a city
  15. last — to go on
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. ball — a dance
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. face — to confront
  22. board — to get on
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. last — finally

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