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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. ground — the earth
  6. bulb — for light
  7. capital — money
  8. tear — from crying
  9. drill — army training
  10. drill — the tool
  11. track — a song
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. track — to keep track
  14. tear — to rip
  15. ground — a position
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. tear — from crying
  18. capital — a city
  19. ground — crushed
  20. drill — a practice
  21. track — a path
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. ruler — a monarch

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