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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. dip — to sink
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. capital — a city
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. capital — money
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. current — electric
  18. current — happening now
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — the animal
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. current — of water
  24. racket — for tennis

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