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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 · ball · firm · race · net · kick · board · toast

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  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. kick — with a leg
  2. race — humankind
  3. firm — a company
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. kick — in football
  7. capital — a city
  8. board — a committee
  9. ball — a great time
  10. board — to get on
  11. net — in sport
  12. net — for catching
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. race — a contest
  15. capital — money
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. net — after costs
  18. ball — a dance
  19. race — the arms race
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. firm — decided
  22. toast — bread
  23. firm — steady
  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