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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 120 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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. squash — the sport
  3. cap — of ice
  4. capital — money
  5. bound — tied together
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bound — certain
  8. rock — a stone
  9. ground — crushed
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. cap — a hat
  12. march — the month
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. rock — music
  15. ground — the earth
  16. bound — obliged
  17. capital — a city
  18. march — the month
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. march — music
  23. squash — to crush
  24. ground — a position

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