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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. capital — a city
  4. cell — a phone
  5. fine — high quality
  6. mine — for digging
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. chip — to eat
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. capital — money
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. cell — in biology
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. chip — for betting
  16. fine — all right
  17. cap — of ice
  18. cap — a hat
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. cap — a lid
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. hide — to keep secret

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