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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: stem · ruler · capital · swing · pit · rush

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. swing — to play on
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. swing — in golf
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. pit — in a race
  11. rush — hurry
  12. stem — to come from
  13. capital — money
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. capital — a city
  17. swing — music
  18. ruler — for measuring

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