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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: stick · mark · cap · last · suit · lie · board · capital

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. capital — money
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. mark — a trace
  6. board — to get on
  7. last — finally
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. lie — to recline
  10. mark — a grade
  11. cap — of ice
  12. suit — to fit
  13. cap — a lid
  14. capital — a city
  15. last — to go on
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. board — a committee
  21. suit — in cards
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. suit — clothes
  24. cap — a hat

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