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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: mouse · squash · wound · stick · capital · rule · cabinet · ruler

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. rule — government
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. capital — a city
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. capital — money
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. wound — an injury
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. squash — the sport
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. squash — to crush
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. wound — an injury
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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