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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. march — music
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. charge — electricity
  6. land — to come down
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. track — a path
  10. track — to keep track
  11. charge — in control
  12. capital — money
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. charge — a price
  16. capital — a city
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. march — the month
  19. track — a song
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. land — a country
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. march — the month
  24. land — ground

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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