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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. game — a match
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. rash — a series
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. capital — a city
  16. game — wild animals
  17. firm — steady
  18. rash — hasty
  19. firm — decided
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. capital — money

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