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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. capital — a city
  5. cap — of ice
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — a lid
  12. bulb — for light
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bore — to drill
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — employees
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bulb — for light
  19. capital — money
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bore — to tire
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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