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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: drill · capital · present · board · pass · sharp · kick · kid

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. present — the time now
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. drill — army training
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. drill — a practice
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. pass — a permit
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. board — to get on
  13. kid — to tease
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. kid — child
  16. capital — money
  17. drill — the tool
  18. board — a committee
  19. present — there
  20. kick — in football
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. sharp — clever
  23. present — a gift
  24. pass — to succeed

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