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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. fork — in a road
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. pop — music
  7. pop — soda
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. cap — of ice
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. pop — to visit
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. capital — money
  15. game — a match
  16. cap — a hat
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. capital — a city
  20. game — wild animals
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. stand — to bear
  24. cap — a lid

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