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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: march · kick · capital · ruler · nail · deal

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. capital — money
  4. march — music
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. deal — to handle
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. march — the month
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. kick — in football
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. capital — a city

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