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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. wound — an injury
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. wound — an injury
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. fine — all right
  13. fine — high quality
  14. capital — money
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. drill — the tool
  17. drill — a practice
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. drill — army training
  22. bat — the animal
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. capital — a city

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