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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. ground — crushed
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. track — to keep track
  6. shower — rain
  7. track — a song
  8. kick — in football
  9. ground — a position
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. capital — money
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pit — a hole
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. ground — the earth
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. shower — to wash
  21. pit — in a race
  22. track — a path
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pass — a permit

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