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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. drill — army training
  4. capital — money
  5. current — electric
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. drill — a practice
  11. capital — a city
  12. fine — all right
  13. drill — the tool
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. fine — high quality
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. deal — to handle
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. current — happening now
  22. current — of water
  23. dip — to sink
  24. dip — to dunk

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