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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: pit · field · capital · safe · rule · key · march · ruler

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. key — in music
  3. capital — a city
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. rule — a law
  8. field — for sport
  9. rule — government
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. pit — in a race
  12. capital — money
  13. field — farmland
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. key — for a lock
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. key — the most important part
  18. march — the month
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. march — music
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. march — the month
  23. pit — a hole
  24. field — a subject

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