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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. lean — to bend
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cap — a lid
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. present — the time now
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. foot — a measure
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. capital — money
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. lean — thin
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. present — there
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. present — a gift
  20. capital — a city
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. cap — a hat
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. pitcher — a jug

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