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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. cell — a phone
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. scale — in music
  7. capital — money
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. cell — in biology
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. capital — a city
  13. pitch — completely
  14. kick — in football
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. scale — size or range

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