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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: capital · ruler · pit · band · hide · fine · cap · toast

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. pit — a hole
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. fine — all right
  7. band — a music group
  8. cap — of ice
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. cap — a hat
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. toast — bread
  15. capital — money
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. capital — a city
  18. pit — in a race
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. fine — high quality
  21. cap — a lid
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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