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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: club · capital · ruler · land · deal · wave

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. club — a group
  4. deal — to handle
  5. club — for dancing
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. capital — a city
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. capital — money
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. land — a country
  17. club — for golf
  18. land — to come down

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