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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: capital · perch · board · ball · deal · fine · tear · track

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. track — a song
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. track — a path
  7. deal — to handle
  8. tear — from crying
  9. perch — the fish
  10. fine — high quality
  11. fine — all right
  12. capital — a city
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. ball — a dance
  15. ball — a great time
  16. tear — to rip
  17. capital — money
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. board — to get on
  21. tear — from crying
  22. board — a committee
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. track — to keep track

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