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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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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: bore · board · bat · rest · rash · capital · wind · stand

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. board — a committee
  4. bore — to drill
  5. wind — moving air
  6. rash — a series
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. capital — money
  11. rest — what's left
  12. board — to get on
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. rash — hasty
  17. wind — moving air
  18. stand — to bear
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. rest — a break
  21. bore — to tire
  22. capital — a city
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. bat — the animal

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