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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. suit — to fit
  3. rule — a law
  4. suit — in cards
  5. craft — a skill
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. scale — size or range
  12. suit — clothes
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. chair — a leader
  15. capital — money
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. scale — in music
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. pitch — completely
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. craft — boats
  22. rule — government
  23. capital — a city
  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