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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 will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. rest — what's left
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. press — newspapers
  8. press — to push
  9. rest — what's left
  10. kid — child
  11. chip — for betting
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. rest — a break
  14. press — a publisher
  15. kid — to tease
  16. game — a match
  17. capital — money
  18. capital — a city
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. game — wild animals
  21. march — the month
  22. chip — to eat
  23. march — music
  24. chip — in a computer

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