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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. capital — money
  7. court — of a king
  8. court — for sport
  9. stock — goods
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. court — of law
  13. capital — a city
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. field — farmland
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. stock — shares
  20. field — for sport
  21. field — a subject
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. lash — an eyelash

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