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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. vault — a safe
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. mark — a grade
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. mark — a trace
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. capital — money
  23. capital — a city
  24. capital — a big letter

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