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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. band — a music group
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. charge — in control
  12. capital — a city
  13. spring — the season
  14. band — a ring
  15. charge — a price
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. stock — goods
  18. stock — shares
  19. charge — electricity
  20. fork — in a road
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. spring — of water
  23. spring — a coil
  24. rush — to hurry

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