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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 120 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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ball — a dance
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. land — ground
  9. rest — a break
  10. land — to come down
  11. sharp — clever
  12. season — of the year
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. rest — what's left
  15. row — a line
  16. rest — what's left
  17. capital — a city
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. land — a country
  20. capital — money
  21. ball — a great time
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. season — in sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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