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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. staff — a stick
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. capital — a city
  6. staff — employees
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. hand — help
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. date — the fruit
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. staff — employees
  23. capital — money
  24. hand — in cards

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