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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 · capital · land · charge · rest · bat · pit · cabinet

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. land — to come down
  4. land — a country
  5. pit — in a race
  6. capital — money
  7. rest — a break
  8. rest — what's left
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. pit — a hole
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bat — the animal
  13. land — ground
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. charge — electricity
  17. charge — a price
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. capital — a city
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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