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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 120 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 · wind · drill · cabinet · board · racket · chip · pit

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. pit — a hole
  7. drill — the tool
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. capital — money
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. chip — for betting
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. pit — in a race
  15. board — a committee
  16. wind — moving air
  17. chip — to eat
  18. wind — moving air
  19. capital — a city
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. drill — army training
  22. drill — a practice
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. board — to get on

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