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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  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. drill — a practice
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. cap — a lid
  5. mug — a face
  6. drill — the tool
  7. game — a match
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. cap — a hat
  11. game — wild animals
  12. drill — army training
  13. race — humankind
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. race — a contest
  18. cap — of ice
  19. capital — a city
  20. mug — a cup
  21. capital — money
  22. race — the arms race
  23. mug — to rob
  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