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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. capital — a city
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. can — to be able to
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. ball — a dance
  8. wound — an injury
  9. mate — a friend
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. ball — a great time
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. can — a tin
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. mate — to breed
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. can — a tin
  20. capital — money
  21. mate — a partner
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. leaves — of a tree

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