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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: ruler · staff · fork · stick · wake · capital

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. capital — money
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. staff — a stick
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. capital — a city
  8. wake — a trail
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. staff — employees
  15. fork — in a road
  16. staff — employees
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. stick — a piece of wood

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