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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. capital — a city
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cap — a hat
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. rule — a law
  9. mark — a grade
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. capital — money
  12. cap — of ice
  13. season — of the year
  14. season — in sport
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. rule — government
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. cap — a lid
  22. mark — a trace
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. temple — side of the head

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