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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. track — to keep track
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. mug — a face
  12. capital — money
  13. mug — a cup
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. capital — a city
  16. rule — government
  17. track — a path
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. mug — to rob
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. track — a song
  24. straw — a straw man

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