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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 · safe · tear · march · cell · wind · racket

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. cell — a phone
  3. cell — in biology
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. march — music
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. wind — moving air
  10. capital — money
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. tear — from crying
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. wind — moving air
  16. march — the month
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. tear — from crying
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. capital — a city
  24. tear — to rip

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