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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: track · stick · pop · cabinet · pitch · board · capital · fine

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. pop — to visit
  3. fine — all right
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. board — to get on
  6. track — a path
  7. capital — money
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. track — to keep track
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. pop — music
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. fine — high quality
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. track — a song
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. capital — a city
  23. pop — soda
  24. cabinet — ministers

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