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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 120 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: wound · capital · bowl · pit · clip · ruler · row · pop

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. row — to paddle
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — an injury
  5. clip — to cut
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. pop — to visit
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. clip — a video
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. row — a line
  14. capital — money
  15. pit — a hole
  16. pop — music
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. capital — a city
  20. pop — soda
  21. pit — in a race
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. clip — for paper

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