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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: mouse · ruler · bear · clip · cap · capital · ground · fine

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. capital — money
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. cap — of ice
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. fine — high quality
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ground — the earth
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. capital — a city
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. clip — a video
  13. cap — a lid
  14. fine — all right
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ground — a position
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. ground — crushed
  20. clip — for paper
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — the animal
  23. cap — a hat
  24. clip — to cut

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