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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: capital · ground · bore · fan · board · pitcher · ruler · calf

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  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. board — a committee
  2. ground — crushed
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bore — to drill
  13. capital — a city
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. ground — the earth
  16. capital — money
  17. bore — to tire
  18. ground — a position
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fan — a supporter
  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