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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. toast — bread
  4. track — a song
  5. track — a path
  6. pop — to visit
  7. capital — money
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. pop — soda
  14. pop — music
  15. dip — to sink
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. capital — a city
  20. track — to keep track
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. ruler — for measuring

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