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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · stick · rush · capital · wind · cabinet · court · track

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. wind — moving air
  4. track — a song
  5. board — a committee
  6. capital — money
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. wind — moving air
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. court — of a king
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. rush — hurry
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. court — for sport
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. board — to get on
  21. court — of law
  22. track — to keep track
  23. capital — a city
  24. track — a path

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