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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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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: board · net · capital · press · fall · ball · safe · rock

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. capital — a city
  3. ball — a dance
  4. net — for catching
  5. board — to get on
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. net — after costs
  9. capital — money
  10. press — a publisher
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. board — a committee
  13. fall — to drop
  14. net — in sport
  15. ball — a great time
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. press — newspapers
  18. rock — a stone
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. fall — the season
  22. rock — music
  23. fall — to drop
  24. press — to push

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