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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. land — to come down
  4. suit — in cards
  5. cap — a lid
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. row — to paddle
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. land — ground
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. suit — to fit
  15. cap — a hat
  16. suit — clothes
  17. capital — a city
  18. row — a line
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. toast — bread
  21. land — a country
  22. cap — of ice
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. capital — money

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