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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.

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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 beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. game — wild animals
  5. current — of water
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — an injury
  8. snap — to click
  9. capital — money
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. current — happening now
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. current — electric
  16. game — a match
  17. capital — a city
  18. snap — to snap out of it

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