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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 120 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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. firm — a company
  3. race — a contest
  4. capital — a city
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. race — humankind
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. can — a tin
  12. capital — money
  13. hand — in cards
  14. firm — steady
  15. hand — help
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. race — the arms race
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. firm — decided
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. can — to be able to
  23. can — a tin
  24. calf — of the leg

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