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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. bore — to tire
  3. stand — to bear
  4. ground — the earth
  5. ground — a position
  6. pop — music
  7. prune — to trim
  8. chip — for betting
  9. ground — crushed
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. pop — to visit
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. capital — a city
  14. pop — soda
  15. prune — to trim
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. chip — to eat
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. capital — money
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bore — to drill

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