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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 116 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 beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. capital — a city
  4. suit — to fit
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. cue — a hint
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. cue — for pool
  10. land — a country
  11. suit — in cards
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. club — for dancing
  16. cue — a signal
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. club — for golf
  19. land — to come down
  20. land — ground
  21. capital — money
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. club — a group
  24. suit — clothes

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