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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. tear — to rip
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. charge — a price
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. tear — from crying
  8. fine — all right
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. last — to go on
  11. last — final
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. capital — a city
  14. capital — money
  15. tear — from crying
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. last — finally
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. charge — electricity
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. fine — high quality
  22. charge — in control
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. jam — in traffic

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