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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wound · field · ruler · scale · rock · key · hide · capital

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. rock — a stone
  3. key — the most important part
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. field — for sport
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. scale — size or range
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. field — farmland
  12. field — a subject
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — an injury
  15. key — in music
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. key — for a lock
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. capital — a city
  20. rock — music
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. scale — in music
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. scale — for weighing

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