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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. track — a path
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. sharp — clever
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. field — farmland
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. track — to keep track
  11. field — for sport
  12. wound — an injury
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. charge — in control
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. charge — electricity
  18. capital — money
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. charge — a price
  21. track — a song
  22. wound — an injury
  23. field — a subject
  24. capital — a city

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