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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. land — a country
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. clip — for paper
  10. land — ground
  11. firm — decided
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. firm — a company
  14. capital — money
  15. firm — steady
  16. capital — a city
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. board — a committee
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. clip — a video
  22. land — to come down
  23. board — to get on
  24. pitcher — a jug

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