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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 120 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: leaves · capital · file · ruler · fork · cabinet

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. file — a line of people
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. file — a tool
  13. file — a document
  14. capital — money
  15. fork — in a road
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. fork — a garden tool

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