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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 116 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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  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. cell — in a prison
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. bound — tied together
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. cell — in biology
  6. key — the most important part
  7. bound — obliged
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. key — for a lock
  10. chip — for betting
  11. capital — a city
  12. fork — in a road
  13. cell — a phone
  14. rule — government
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. rule — a law
  19. chip — to eat
  20. bound — certain
  21. key — in music
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. chip — in a computer
  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