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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. present — there
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. present — the time now
  7. capital — a city
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. chip — to eat
  11. chip — for betting
  12. tube — the underground
  13. squash — the sport
  14. prune — to trim
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. tube — a container
  19. present — a gift
  20. capital — money
  21. rush — hurry
  22. squash — to crush
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. prune — to trim

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