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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: suit · ruler · capital · court · pitch · bore

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. court — for sport
  3. capital — a city
  4. suit — clothes
  5. court — of law
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bore — to drill
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. bore — to tire
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. suit — to fit
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pitch — completely
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. suit — in cards
  18. court — of a king

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