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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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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: capital · board · cap · ground · face · foot · drill · race

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. ground — the earth
  3. race — humankind
  4. ground — crushed
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. drill — the tool
  8. face — part of the head
  9. race — a contest
  10. ground — a position
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. cap — a lid
  13. capital — money
  14. cap — of ice
  15. face — to point toward
  16. drill — a practice
  17. capital — a city
  18. board — a committee
  19. race — the arms race
  20. cap — a hat
  21. board — to get on
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. foot — a measure
  24. face — to confront

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