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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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. capital — money
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bore — to tire
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. kid — to tease
  9. squash — to crush
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. capital — a city
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. bore — to drill
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. kid — child
  21. squash — the sport
  22. march — the month
  23. march — the month
  24. ruler — for measuring

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