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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 120 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: board · suit · club · deal · mug · capital · bore · last

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. last — final
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. mug — a cup
  5. capital — money
  6. bore — to drill
  7. suit — clothes
  8. club — for golf
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. last — to go on
  11. board — to get on
  12. last — finally
  13. board — a committee
  14. mug — to rob
  15. suit — in cards
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. deal — to handle
  18. club — for dancing
  19. suit — to fit
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. club — a group
  22. mug — a face
  23. capital — a city
  24. deal — an agreement

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