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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. court — for sport
  5. court — of law
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. season — in sport
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. season — of the year
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. capital — a city
  16. court — of a king
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. can — a tin
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. can — to be able to
  22. can — a tin
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. rush — hurry

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