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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bore — to tire
  4. capital — a city
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. track — a path
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. capital — money
  13. track — to keep track
  14. track — a song
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. bore — to drill
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. mine — for digging

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