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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. board — to get on
  4. bulb — for light
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. drill — a practice
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. capital — a city
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. object — to protest
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. object — an aim
  17. object — a thing
  18. drill — army training
  19. board — a committee
  20. bulb — for light
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. rash — hasty
  23. capital — money
  24. drill — the tool

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