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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 second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. ground — crushed
  4. face — part of the head
  5. ground — a position
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. face — to confront
  8. key — in music
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. key — for a lock
  11. ground — the earth
  12. foot — a measure
  13. saw — the tool
  14. tube — the underground
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. tube — a container
  19. capital — a city
  20. key — the most important part
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. face — to point toward
  24. saw — 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