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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: capital · firm · band · rule · calf · bore · ruler · pit

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. band — a music group
  4. rule — a law
  5. firm — decided
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. rule — government
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. pit — in a race
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. firm — a company
  13. pit — a hole
  14. band — a ring
  15. capital — a city
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. bore — to drill
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bore — to tire
  21. firm — steady
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. capital — money

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