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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. cap — a hat
  4. capital — money
  5. rash — a series
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. capital — a city
  11. stock — shares
  12. rash — hasty
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. cap — of ice
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. stock — goods
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. coach — a trainer

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