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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. cap — a hat
  5. net — in sport
  6. object — a thing
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. capital — money
  9. net — after costs
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. cap — a lid
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. object — to protest
  16. wake — a trail
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. net — for catching
  19. object — an aim
  20. perch — the fish
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. cap — of ice
  24. ruler — a monarch

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