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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 116 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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. capital — a city
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. capital — money
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. object — a thing
  7. bound — certain
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. bound — tied together
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. object — to protest
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. net — for catching
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. content — happy
  18. content — the amount
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. net — after costs
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. object — an aim
  23. bound — obliged
  24. rush — hurry

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