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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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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: dip · season · tear · capital · rule · ruler · fine · key

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. season — in sport
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. tear — from crying
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. fine — high quality
  8. key — the most important part
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. key — for a lock
  11. capital — a city
  12. capital — money
  13. dip — to sink
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. season — of the year
  17. key — in music
  18. rule — a law
  19. tear — to rip
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. fine — all right
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. tear — from crying
  24. rule — government

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