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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: fall · pop · capital · plane · deal · ruler

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. pop — to visit
  3. fall — to drop
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. capital — money
  7. deal — to handle
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — the season
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. pop — soda
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. capital — a city
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. pop — music
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. plane — an aircraft

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