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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. capital — a city
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. degree — temperature
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. face — part of the head
  11. date — the fruit
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. capital — money
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. degree — from a university
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. face — to point toward
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. face — to confront
  23. degree — an amount
  24. coach — a trainer

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