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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
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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: lie · rule · chair · squash · mine · march · capital · mouse

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. rule — a law
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. squash — to crush
  9. march — the month
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. squash — the sport
  12. march — the month
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. rule — government
  15. capital — a city
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. chair — a leader
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. mine — for digging
  21. capital — money
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. lie — to recline
  24. lie — an untruth

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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