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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. capital — money
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. land — ground
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. land — a country
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. board — a committee
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. game — a match
  12. game — wild animals
  13. tube — the underground
  14. board — to get on
  15. tube — a container
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. land — to come down
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. plane — a tool
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. capital — a city

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