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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. saw — the tool
  4. squash — the sport
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. roll — a list
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. squash — to crush
  13. roll — a cake
  14. capital — a city
  15. capital — money
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. saw — the tool
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. chair — a leader
  22. bore — to tire
  23. pitch — completely
  24. bore — to drill

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