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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: wake · board · capital · deal · dip · club · game · cap

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. game — a match
  4. club — for golf
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. game — wild animals
  7. board — a committee
  8. board — to get on
  9. wake — a trail
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. dip — to sink
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. club — for dancing
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. capital — a city
  17. deal — to handle
  18. cap — of ice
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. club — a group
  22. cap — a hat
  23. capital — money
  24. cap — a lid

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