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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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Word bank
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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: ruler · bulb · race · lie · game · rock · cabinet · capital

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. rock — a stone
  6. race — humankind
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. race — a contest
  9. lie — to recline
  10. capital — a city
  11. rock — music
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — for light
  19. capital — money
  20. game — a match
  21. race — the arms race
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. ruler — for measuring

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