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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: jam · capital · swing · rest · ruler · bowl

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. swing — in golf
  6. rest — what's left
  7. swing — music
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. capital — a city
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. rest — a break
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. rest — what's left
  14. swing — to play on
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. capital — a big letter

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