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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 124 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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. wound — an injury
  4. dip — to sink
  5. can — a tin
  6. capital — money
  7. ground — the earth
  8. bass — the fish
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. bass — low music
  11. fork — in a road
  12. ground — a position
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. wound — an injury
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. ground — crushed
  20. can — to be able to
  21. can — a tin
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  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