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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. game — a match
  4. ball — a dance
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. capital — a city
  8. press — a publisher
  9. capital — money
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. press — to push
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. game — wild animals
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. ball — a great time
  18. bound — obliged
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — an injury
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bound — tied together
  23. press — newspapers
  24. bound — certain

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