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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: ruler · pit · capital · rule · kid · pop · lash · root

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. pop — to visit
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. kid — to tease
  9. kid — child
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. pit — a hole
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. capital — money
  14. rule — a law
  15. pop — soda
  16. capital — a city
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. root — the cause
  19. root — of a plant
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. root — of a word
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. rule — government
  24. pop — music

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