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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. drill — army training
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. drill — the tool
  6. capital — a city
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. drill — a practice
  9. race — the arms race
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. capital — money
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. board — to get on
  14. board — a committee
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. race — humankind
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. race — a contest
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. dip — to sink
  21. band — a ring
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — for tennis

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