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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. lean — thin
  5. pop — to visit
  6. capital — money
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. capital — a city
  9. lean — to bend
  10. ground — crushed
  11. lie — to recline
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. hand — help
  14. ground — the earth
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. pop — music
  21. pop — soda
  22. hand — in cards
  23. ground — a position
  24. ruler — for measuring

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