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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. clip — to cut
  3. bore — to drill
  4. clip — a video
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. capital — money
  7. firm — a company
  8. craft — a skill
  9. pit — in a race
  10. firm — steady
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. pit — a hole
  13. staff — employees
  14. firm — decided
  15. craft — boats
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — a stick
  19. bore — to tire
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. clip — for paper
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. capital — a big letter

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