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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · stick · dip · shower · capital · staff · cabinet · prune

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. board — to get on
  7. capital — a city
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. dip — to sink
  10. prune — to trim
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. staff — employees
  13. shower — to wash
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. prune — to trim
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. staff — a stick
  20. staff — employees
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. board — a committee
  24. shower — rain

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