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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. capital — money
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. mate — to breed
  5. chip — for betting
  6. capital — a city
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. rest — what's left
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — a break
  13. pit — in a race
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. mate — a partner
  18. present — the time now
  19. present — there
  20. chip — to eat
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. mate — a friend
  23. pit — a hole
  24. present — a gift

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