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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: ruler · chair · capital · mate · deal · mouse · pit · rush

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. chair — a leader
  4. pit — in a race
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. pit — a hole
  9. deal — to handle
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. capital — a city
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. capital — money
  18. rush — hurry
  19. mate — a partner
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mate — a friend
  24. deal — a big deal

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